A Deadly Christmas (advent calendar)
by PM483
Summary: There are now six victims in the case of the SALIGIA-killer, where all murders have been linked to the Seven Deadly Sins. Sherlock is convinced he knows who the killer is, but he will not say anything to John, because he has already been wrong once. Rated T for bizarre murders and language.
1. Pride comes before a fall

**I just wanna say one thing about this story; John and Sherlock have a pug. And that is because I gave them one in other story "**_**The Pug Puppy**_**". But that is not important to understand this story. So I will just say that Sherlock have this love/hate relationship to it and when he finds the dog annoying he calls it John, because John was the one who bought it. So that was all, hope you enjoy the story **

* * *

**December 1****st**** – Pride comes before a fall**

Outside in the streets of London were there a lot of puddles and some small piles of snow. It was cold, grey and sad to look at. But still, the streets were full of people buying Christmas presents, and other things for the upcoming holydays. It was all stressful and noisy. But inside, in 221B Baker Street was everything quiet and peacefu…

"JOHN!" shouted Sherlock from the kitchen.

"What now?" John said when he entered the room, coming from his bedroom upstairs.

Sherlock Holmes turned his head away from the microscope, and looked at his flat-mate. "Oh" he said and seemed surprised that the other man was there. "I was not talking to you, but to Junior."

John managed to stay calm. But it was hard, very hard. "How many times have I told you not to call the dog John?"

Sherlock who had returned to his work replied; "I stopped counting after a week."

John Watson sighed; living with a genius was like living with a kid. "So what was the problem with the dog, then?"

"He keeps scratching on the floor."

John looked to where the pug was; it sat beside its food bowl and looked at him with big puppy eyes. John got the dog food. "He's just hungry, Sherlock. You could have used your great observation skills to figure that out."

_I knew it was hungry_, Sherlock thought to himself. _It's just much easier to make you feed it, John._

Sherlock got a text, but his phone was in the living room.

"John…" he said.

"Yeah, yeah… I will get it for you." John said and took the phone. _Why do I even do this?_ He thought. _I'm not his fucking butler_. John looked at the screen "It's from Lestrade."

"Anything interesting?" asked Sherlock, still not looking up from the microscope.

John opened the text. "There has been a murder. He would like you to look at it. The address is here."

_I have nothing else to do_, Sherlock thought. "Tell him we'll be there soon." Sherlock said and finally rose.

John followed his friend.

oOo

The crime scene was an old warehouse near the Thames. Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade was outside waiting for them. "This way." said Lestrade and lead them inside. "I wanna warn you, it's slightly bizarre."

John was pretty sure that there weren't many things that could surprise him, after being at war and living with Sherlock for this long, had he seen a lot of bizarre things. Actually he just needed to walk out in the kitchen ones in a while, to find something bizarre.

"We haven't touched anything." Lestrade said.

"Good" Sherlock replied "Who reported it?"

"We got an anonymous letter, written on a computer. No fingerprints nothing written on the envelope."

"So probably the killer himself." Said Sherlock before he stepped into the little room (possible an old office) with John and the DI.

The only light came from some candles around on the floor. All the furniture was removed from the room, but what really got the 3 men's attention was what was on the floor.

"Dear God." John whispered as he and the others looked down and saw the woman on the floor.

She was only in her underwear and covered in blood and around her was over 50 peacock feathers, like a tail. Her eyes were wide open. The blood came from a big wound on her neck and had made its way down her body. She lay with her legs crossed, and her arms to the sides like if she was hanging on a cross. It was indeed a terrifying sight. On the wall over her stood within in red which, thankfully, was too thick to be blood:

**PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL**

"Superbia" Sherlock said.

"What?" John asked and turned his head from the dead woman to his flat-mate.

"Superbia. It's Latin for pride, one of the seven deadly sins, and is pictured by a peacock."

"So if this is supposed to be reference to one of the deadly sins…" John began, not wanting to end the sentence.

"Will there properly come six more." Sherlock mumbled.

Lestrade sighed and picked up his phone from his pocket. "Just what we needed for the holydays: a serial killer!" He walked out the room while he talked on the phone.

"So we have to find this murderer quickly, before he kills again." John said.

"Yes." Sherlock replied. And sure the murderer would kill again. There were six more sins to show off, and this was indeed someone who liked to show off. _This could be really interesting._

Sherlock stepped forward to the body and took a closer look. She had been standing when she got killed, otherwise could the blood not fall down her body like that. The blood had run all the way down to her feet, so she had been standing _all_ the time.

Sherlock took a look at her wrists, marks after handcuffs, she had been struggling, but probably been drugged then her throat had been cut. The underwear were of an expensive brand and had been on the whole time, because those were also covered in blood. But the make-up was put on post mortem. The colors were blue like the feathers, but it was put on clumsy. Probably not put on by someone who was killed for her _pride_.

* * *

**So this was the first chapter, and many of the others probably gonna be longer. But I will try to update round 5p.m. every day (Danish time). Hope you enjoyed **


	2. The List

**December the 2****nd**** – The List**

Sherlock had been up the entire night, refreshing his knowledge on the seven deadly sins, and then made a list:

- Superbia, pride, peacock.

- Avaritia, avarice, toad

- Luxuria, lust, goat

- Invidia, envy, snake

- Gula, gluttony, pig

- Ira, wrath, lion

- Accidia, sloth, snail

Or well, the list was most for John, Sherlock would remember it. So when John stood up at 7 o'clock, Sherlock gave him the list.

"So what do you think he is going to show off next? If we don't capture that bastard first." asked John and remembered the dead woman covered in blood and feathers.

"I'm not sure." He had thought a lot about it in the many quiet hours of the night. "The upcoming _holidays_ is giving occasion to all of them."

John knew Sherlock didn't like Christmas that much. John thought I must had something to do with his childhood, but well, being at a Christmas dinner with Sherlock _and_ Mycroft Holmes must just end in disaster, right? So John had never asked why, and besides, there were so many things Sherlock Holmes didn't liked which other people enjoyed.

"Yeah, you're right." John said then he came back to reality.

"Like always." mumbled Sherlock and turned on his computer.

John smiled for himself and went to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. "Don't you think you need some sleep if you want to solve this quickly?" John asked. Sherlock might think that he was stupid, but he wasn't a complete idiot, he knew Sherlock hadn't slept for the entire night. And it was certainly not healthy.

"Accidia." Were the only respond from Sherlock.

John looked down at the paper he just had got from Sherlock. _Sloth_. John sighed. "Sherlock sleeping isn't the same as being lazy."

Sherlock didn't reply.

Junior came into the kitchen to John and started to whine.

"Sherlock haven't you give him his breakfast?" John asked.

Still no answer from the living room.

"Sherlock for God sake!" shouted John, his patience was used up. "It's still a puppy, a baby, Sherlock. He needs to have his breakfast."

"Ira." Sherlock said, not looking away from the screen.

"Oh this is just great…" John mumbled to himself and looked once again at the list. "Now he only wants to communicate on a dead language…"

_Wrath_, the note said. John crumpled the note to a ball and threw it after his flat-mate, but missed. He then went to feed the dog.

In the living room was Sherlock smiling.

oOo

An hour later had Sherlock and John just arrived at St. Bart's. John wasn't angry at Sherlock anymore. Because Sherlock, to John's big surprise, had taken a walk with Junior.

"Good morning, Sherlock. And John." Molly Hooper said when they entered the morgue, she was smiling as always then she saw Sherlock, poor girl. She was standing with Lestrade next to a table with a body on it; which was covered in a white sheet.

"Good morning Molly, Greg." said John with a smile.

"So who is the girl?" Sherlock asked, not wasting time on saying good morning.

"Her name is Kate Sanders, 23 years. She was a model for some big fashion company here in London." Lestrade said, looking down at a note.

"Is that really all you managed to find after almost 24 hours?" Sherlock said. Once again he was disappointed over Scotland Yard.

"Give me a break! It's Sunday, my day off, and almost anybody else day off." Lestrade responded. He appreciated Sherlock's help, but sometimes, he just wanted to strangle the man.

"Easy now Boys." John said in order to avoid an argument "We just go home and try to find something on her. A girl at her age must have a Facebook or something."

"Fine." Sherlock said sounding really bored. "Do you at least have her e-mail?"

"Here." Lestrade said and gave Sherlock the files they had on her so far. "It's all we got on her; her e-mail must be there somewhere."

"Fine. Cracking her code should not be a problem…" Sherlock mumbled while looking at the papers. He looked up again at the DI. "Anything about how she died?"

"She was drugged." Molly interrupted, trying to get Sherlock's attention.

"With what?" he asked and looked at her.

"Sleeping pills and a lot of them." She said.

"So nothing useful there." Sherlock said and turned his attention back to Lestrade. "Where did she live?"

John saw how Molly's smile faded away. He made a mental note about giving Sherlock another lesson in normal polite behaviour, and that he could get a long way with two simple words: _thank you_.

Lestrade found a key in his pocket and threw it to John. "The address is in the file. But wait until tomorrow, the forensics is there now, and you aren't actually staff, so I can't let you in right now." He said, looking at Sherlock.

"Yeah, yeah… I'll wait to they are gone." Sherlock mumbled he could start with the file.


	3. Facebook is stupid

**Sorry for****the late****update****. ****Monday****was harder than****I expected ;)**

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**December 3****rd**** – Facebook is stupid**

Religion: _Atheist._

Relationship: _Single._

Favourite quote: _Diamonds are a girl's best friend._

Sherlock was looking through Kate Sanders' Facebook profile; he found it hard to understand why people had one. Sure he sometimes found it annoying that John was posting their cases on his blog, but this was her entire life she shared with strangers, because they could not all be her friends.

"Why are people so stupid?" said Sherlock in his usual bored tone. "Putting her entire life on the internet for the whole world to see it."

"Well…" John started, but was cut off.

"854 friends, no one have 854 friends, John." Sherlock said and flung his arms.

John didn't want to discuss with Sherlock how relationships on the web worked, it could be hard enough to discuss how they worked in reality.

_Two days had the murderer had her before he showed her to us_, Sherlock thought to himself. Her otherwise constant updates had stopped November 29rd. And the last update was about her eating brunch and watching telly, _boring_. Sherlock got a text. They could see Kate's flat now.

oOo

Kate Sanders' flat was in the better part of London. Sanders' model career must have been pretty good. Her address was on the third floor.

The forensics had checked for fingerprints and had taken her personal stuff as phone and computer, but otherwise did the flat look like she just had left it.

"See Sherlock, they have left it just like you like it, untouched." John said and began to look around the flat.

"Hmm…" Sherlock mumbled. He wouldn't exactly say untouched. He could see the signs of the forensics everywhere. But that didn't matter he could see through that.

To see the woman's Facebook profile had almost been enough, her whole flat was just confirming that picture he had of her. Like the clothes she had worn on the pictures were all the furniture in her flat expensive brands. The decor was light and modern. There were no dust to be seen anywhere and no used cups or any other kind of washing-up in the kitchen. Nothing there could destroy the perfect flat.

Sherlock heard John whistle in the living room, while he was looking at all the beauty products she had in her bathroom. Sherlock went back to where John was; he was looking a wall full of pictures. Some of them were just of Miss Sanders, a lot of them were magazine covers, and on the rest of them was she together with people.

"Have you found something?" Sherlock asked then he didn't see anything interesting.

"I don't see anybody on this wall, that isn't famous, or at least have been on TV in the last month." John said and sighed, he really needed to get out some more. He had watched far too much telly again.

Sherlock looked at all the different people; he might have seen some of them before. But that didn't really matter; the important thing was that it all fit into the picture of Superbia as the killer wanted to show.

"So shall we make status?" John asked.

"Sure." Sherlock replied. "She never left her home; keys, phone and purse were all found here. So she has opened the door for the murderer herself, since there are no signs of burglary…"

"So maybe a date." John interrupted; just so he also came with inputs.

"Maybe. Or a journalist, photographer, friend or anyone else a girl like Miss Sanders would let in." Sherlock said and then continued where he had left off before. "The murderer kept her here probably drugged most of the time."

"How do you know she was here?" John asked; he hadn't seen any signs of that.

"The bathroom. The make-up she had on at the crime scene matches some of the colours she has herself. But it was clumsy put on, not like a professional model would do it."

"So we can weed out all other models, stylists and women." John said sarcastic.

"Come, there is something else." Sherlock said and walked to the bathroom again, followed by John.

Sherlock pointed to the shower curtain rod, where the paint was scraped off all the way across. "The murderer handcuffed her to it. She tried to break free."

"So she was forced to stand up for days or what?" John asked. Poor girl.

"One day. The autopsy showed she died 20 hours before we found her."

"But it is still a horrible thing to do to another person." John said and left the room.

"At least we now know why the blood fell like it did." Sherlock said.

"Great." John mumbled. He couldn't see how that was helpful. They still didn't have anything to go after. He sighed. "Maybe she wrote something about the meeting in a calendar, we could call Lestrade."

"No. that's not necessary. She put her whole life on her Facebook page. She would have written it there if she had an appointment with a friend or magazine. And there isn't anything interesting, I've already checked."

So they had completely nothing to go after, John felt frustrated, most of all because he knew that this psychopath would kill again.

They left the flat. But on their way down the stairs, a woman nearly bumped into them because she was in such hurry.

"Oh I am so sorry." She said and looked down at them, because she already had past them before she could stop her run.

"Don't worry," John said with a smile. "No damage happened, right Sherlock?" he looked at his friend, but didn't get any respond.

That was because Sherlock didn't hear him; he was looking at the woman. Mid-30, no wedding/engagement ring and no marks after one had been removed. Simply dressed, no other jewelry (or he couldn't see her neck for that giant scarf of hers), in all ways an ordinary woman. So her job had to be well paid when she got the money to a place like this. Had to be something at an office, not a media person like Sanders, she was all to down to ground to that. It seemed like she was on her way to the next floor.

He looked to Sanders' neighbor's door. Mrs. Downs. There was a low noise of TV and cats coming from in there. Probably an elderly woman, not really one Sanders would be friends with. But maybe this younger one, she might be useful.

Sherlock continued down the stairs.

And once again was John left behind, and had to apologize for his friend's odd behaviour. "He's not angry. He's just… Sherlock." He said.

The woman smiled. "Okay." And then she continued her run up the stairs.

When John came down was Sherlock waiting outside.

"So, did you get her name?" Sherlock asked.

"What? No." John frowned "Why?"

"Because you're going to visit her tomorrow."

John shook his head with a smile; no wonder that it was this kind of things Sherlock would let him take care of.


	4. Do you want coffee?

**December 4rd – Do you want coffee? **

Junior was sleeping on the couch with its head on the teddy bear John had bought to it, after Junior had eaten one of his shoes. And Sherlock was deep buried in thoughts about the case. Yep, there shouldn't could get anything wrong while John was out, and with that in mind he left 221b to go visit Kate Sanders' upstairs neighbor.

Sherlock was trying to identify an offender. A religious person of the old school, because no one today really saw the Seven Deadly Sins as real sins anymore. They were created by monks to help them live a properly life like God wanted them to. The murderer was a Christian fanatic. Not likely many of Kate Sanders' friends there all seemed superficial and faraway clever enough to do this.

And the messages _Pride comes before a fall_. The message was the important thing in this murder. The murderer wanted people to know that these sins were bad enough to die for.

oOo

Until now had Lestrade managed not to involve the press, but the murder of a popular model would not just pass by unnoticed, it was just a matter of time, and when it did, London would panic.

John still had the key to the building where Sanders had lived, now he just had to guess which flat on the fourth floor belonged to the woman from the day before. Two opportunities: R. Walters or J. Hay.

He could really have used Sherlock right now. But then he heard a dog bark from Walters' flat and an elderly woman shouting at the dog. J. Hay it was.

John rang the bell on the door to Hay's flat, and there wasn't past many seconds before the woman from the day before opened the door, just enough to he could see her face. She seemed surprised to see him. "It was you I meet on the stairs yesterday, isn't it?"

"Yes. John Watson." John didn't find it necessary to reach out a hand to shake, she didn't look like she would open the door more than it already was, not that that was strange when a woman had been murdered on the floor just below her. "But what we didn't tell you was that we had been looking at Kate Sanders flat, or well, investigating."

"Oh so you're from the police then?" she asked, and opened the door a bit more.

"Sort of." John said with a smile. "My… _colleague_ and I are helping the police. So I would ask if it's okay I come in and ask you some questions?"

"Yeah sure, come in." she said and opened the door wide for him.

John was a bit surprised that she took his _sort of police_ as good enough to let him in.

"But I have to say, like I did to the other policeman who was here yesterday, that I didn't know her that well." She walked in the living room followed by John.

The room was light and modern like Sanders', but not with all the photographs and Miss Hay also seemed to be okay with a bit of dust in the corners. "Do you want anything? Tea? Coffee?" she asked.

"No. no thanks, I'm fine." John answered.

"Okay, then please sit down." She said and made a gesture to the couch, for John to take a seat while she took the chair on the other side of the coffee table herself.

John sat down and looked at the woman on the other side. She had a blue sweater on, and her long brown curly hair was gathered in a loosely ponytail. She looked rather lovely. John gave himself a mental shook; he had to be professional now.

"So." He said and made a short cough. "How well did you know Kate Sanders, Miss Hay?"

"Please, just call me Jane." She said with a smile, but then looked at him more seriously. "I didn't know Kate that well, I mean we did not exactly have that much in common."

No, John could imagine that. Jane didn't seem as outgoing as Kate Sanders. "So did you hear anything unusually in the last week, from her flat? Maybe an argument?"

She shook her head with a sad facial expression. "No, I'm sorry."

"Okay." John said and scratched his neck, it didn't seemed like he was getting anywhere with this. "So do you have something else to say about Miss Sanders? Something we can use?"

"As I said before, me and Kate wasn't that close. But she was actually sweeter than what it seems like on the surface. She never threw a party without warning first and she was nice to everyone in the building. I seriously don't understand why anyone would…" she sunk before she could say the words "kill her."

John wouldn't tell her about the whole sin-thing that would come out soon enough.

Just then he was about to ask her another question his phone buzzed.

_There has been another murder. S_

John sighed. He had really hoped they could have stopped that bastard before he killed again. He got a new text with an address.

John stood. "I'm sorry mi… Jane, but I have to leave. Maybe we could talk again another time?"

She nodded with a little smile. "What about tomorrow, 4 o'clock? I will promise to have coffee ready."

"That sounds great. That's a date, well you know…" _and their goes the last bit __professionalism __of this meeting_, John thought. But Jane just smiled.

oOo

This crime scene was kilometers away from the first one. This time the victim was found in his own flat by his cleaning lady. Once again was Lestrade waiting for the consulting detective and the doctor outside the building.

"This one," Lestrade said when both Sherlock and John had arrived "is after my opinion even weirder than the first one." He said while he led them to the living room.

And by the sight of the dead man, John wanted to agree with the DI.

In the white leather sofa, in front of a large panorama window, sat a man in an expensive suit, eyes wide open and he had a _toad_ in his mouth. He sat in the middle of the sofa, and all the way around him was 10£ banknotes 20 maybe 30 of them. And just like the first victim had this one a large wound on his neck. The blood had ran down and painted his shirt red.

"So I guess it is greed this time." Lestrade said.

"Avaritia." added John but was otherwise speechless.

"Good John, you have been studying the list." Sherlock said already taken a closer look at the man.

Sherlock pulled away the man's sleeve. He had also been handcuffed, but killed in this position, must likely drugged.

"What was his position?" John asked Lestrade but Sherlock answered. "A banker."

The man was in his 30's but already lightly overweight. He didn't get much motion, sat down a lot, only worked with his hands by typing on a computer and making phone calls. And also, a banker would be the obvious symbol of a greedy man. This was like the old story about _Ebenezer Scrooge_, but without a happy ending.

"Yes, that's correct. Daniel Thomsen, he worked at the bank just around the corner." Lestrade said.

Sherlock stood and walked out the living room. "John will you please take the toad with you?" he yelled before they heard the front door being opened and then closed again.

"Can someone put that toad in a plastic bag?" Lestrade shouted to the forensics not anyone particular. And then he turned to John and lowered his voice. "Does he have any clue on what's going on?"

John shook his head. "I don't think so. I really think he's frustrated."

The DI sighed. "Just what I feared. And to make things even worse, I can't hold the press out off this any longer. This is gonna be in the morning news."

John could only agree with the DI. This was going to be a disaster.


	5. SALIGIA

**So I am going on a trip with my class tomorrow and won't be home before Friday, so no chapter tomorrow, but two on Friday. (:**

* * *

**December 5****th**** – SALIGIA**

John knew his flat-mate had been up the entire night once again, as soon as he entered the kitchen in the morning. He had stayed awake on coffee and nicotine patches.

On the kitchen table John saw the remains of the toad. Sherlock had dissected it. The amphibian had been thoroughly studied in any possible way. And right now was Sherlock sitting at the table with his hands in the thinking position, he had not seen John.

On the floor was Junior sleeping on the side, beside a overfill food bowl. The dog food was spread all over the floor in a one meter radius, and the empty bag was thrown into the corner.

John sighed, _he gonna kill that dog one day_. "Sherlock have you been feeding Junior this morning?"

"Mm…" Sherlock muttered without looking at the other man.

"I think he have had enough for the rest of the _month_. Jesus Christ Sherlock, he could have died of overeating." John grabbed the empty bag and began to fill the food back into it. "So did you find anything interesting in the toad then?" John asked.

The otherwise sleeping dog awoke by the sound of John removing the food, and didn't like the idea of it, so he started to eat the ones lying around the floor.

John sighed again; _yes this dog is clearly going to die if Sherlock shall take care of it. Actually they will both die_._ Junior will die of __obesity__ and Sherlock will die of starving. _

"It's just an ordinary toad, nothing to come for there." Sherlock finally responded.

John couldn't help but feeling sorry for his friend. If they didn't soon find something to go after, Sherlock would become even more frustrated. Because John knew he was, but there was no way Sherlock would ever talk about it, John had known him that long.

"Maybe you should sleep then? This is not healthy for you." John said and gave up on his dog food picking, it would be easier to just clean up when the dog finally have had enough and vomited somewhere.

"How would you know?" Sherlock said in a long breath.

"After all, I am a doctor." John walked around the table to get eye contact with Sherlock. "Go to sleep."

"There must be something…" Sherlock mumbled and stood to avoided John's gaze.

John desperately wanted to help his friend, but had no idea of how to do it. "Is there a connection between Sanders and Thomsen?"

"No, no connection. Don't know each other, Sanders didn't have her money in the man's bank, didn't shared cleaning lady. Nothing." Sherlock had started to walk forward and back again in the living room. _There must be some connecting, something. It couldn't be that random. Something…_

Sherlock froze on the spot. "Stupid!" he shouted.

Both John and Junior got a shock.

"What now?" John asked.

"Oh I'm so stupid." Sherlock said. "John do you have the list I gave you?" he said and held out a hand.

"Yeah sure, here it is." John said and found the piece of paper in his pocket and handed it to his flat-mate.

Sherlock put it on the table and made a ring around the first letters in the seven words.

"Saligia?" John asked when he saw it. "What is that?"

"Simply the order for the murders. Saligia is another term for the deadly sins. I just forgot about it. But of course the killer will do it in that order. Stupid!" Sherlock said once again, this time hammering his fist in the table.

"Okay Sherlock, calm down. Just because you had thought about this earlier, doesn't mean it would have saved Daniel Thomsen. There are many people who fit into all seven of them."

"But it's so obvious." Sherlock said and began to put on coat and scarf.

"Where are you going?" John asked he had hoped he could put Sherlock to bed.

"I'm going to visit Mycroft, he can maybe actually be helpful for once, and you are going to call Lestrade. Tell him about Saligia and that the next murder victim probably gonna be a prostitute."

John would have said something but gone was the detective, and out in the kitchen could John hear the dog vomit.

oOo

Visiting his big brother was not exactly something Sherlock enjoyed, not at all. But all Mycroft's surveillance cameras could be useful.

The killer wanted to show Daniel Thomsen as greedy, so the money most has come from his own account. Therefore, would the surveillance cameras from the bank's ATM maybe show them something, maybe a picture of the killer if he had followed Thomsen there.

"Sherlock, always good to see you." Mycroft said when he finally entered the room where Sherlock had been waiting for him in 15 minutes.

"What about we skip this just for once? I seriously don't have time for it." Sherlock said.

"Sure." Mycroft said, not really caring. "So what can I do for you then?"

"I'm sure you heard about the dead banker, Daniel Thomsen?"

"Yes. That was all over the news this morning." he sighed. "Very tragic." But there was no sympathy to see in his eyes.

Sherlock knew the only tragic Mycroft saw in this was the panic it would cause in London. "I need to see the surveillance cameras from the bank's AMT."

"And why should I give you them? I can't just give such thing away."

Sherlock sighed annoyed. "Don't be so dramatic Mycroft. Like you have to ask anyone for permission. But if we don't catch this maniac, will at least five more people die. It will cause much more panic than there already is."

Mycroft looked at his little brother, for a couple of minutes before he answered; he waited this long just to annoy Sherlock. "All right." He finally said. "Tell me what you're looking for and I will personally do it."

Well this was probably the best he could get, and he certainly didn't want to _beg_. "Check since 1st December, how many times Daniel Thomsen's credit card has been used. And give me the videos of when it has."

"I will have it ready for you for tomorrow." Mycroft answered. "I've a bit of a list to do myself."

Sherlock rolled his eyes. _Sure, there must be someone he needs to spy on or some important election somewhere._ "Just be quick Mycroft." Sherlock said and stalked to the door, he had his hand on the handle then Mycroft spoke again:

"And Sherlock, please make sure this is solved before Christmas, it would be a shame to ruin the Holidays.

Sherlock slammed the door. He didn't have time for Mycroft trying to act like he cared about Christmas.

oOo

"It's not much, but at least it is something." John said to Lestrade on the phone.

"No it is certainly not. But I guess it is a start" The DI sighed. He sounded tired and John understood why. All there had been in the news the entire morning had been about the murders of Daniel Thomsen and Kate Sanders. And worst of all, some had given photos of the murder scenes to a TV station.

The police believed that it was the murderer himself who had given the photos to the TV station, that or one from the police. Because the pictures were high quality and no one other than the police and Thomsen's maid had seen the crime scenes.

"I can't hold an eye on all prostitutes in London." Lestrade said.

"No I can imagine it to be hard." John mumbled.

This whole case seemed hard to solve. And they really didn't have anything to go after.


	6. Watch the news

**I'm so sorry for this late update but the trip to Copenhagen dragged out. So I will put up all three chapters today :)**

* * *

**December the 6****th**** – Watch the news**

When John woke up that morning was he relieved to find the living room empty, it looked like Sherlock finally had allowed himself to get some sleep. But that thought soon died again, when he couldn't find Junior anywhere.

_Do you have Junior with you? J_

But John didn't get any answer, not until 20 minutes later when the detective stood in the living room with a frozen pug in a leash. Sherlock looked to be in deep thoughts, he just let go of the leash and then stalked into his room. Junior hurried over to John while it whimpered.

John sighed and took up the little dog. It was desperate to catch its breath again and salvia hung down from its mouth. Sherlock must have taken it had with him on a long trip through the streets of London.

John sat the dog down in the kitchen and gave it some food, before he walked to Sherlock's room. He didn't bother to knock first; he knew there wouldn't be any respond anyway.

Sherlock stood and looked out of the window with his hands folded on his back.

"So is there a good explanation to why you dragged our dog through the half of London 6 in the morning?" John asked and leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"I was out talking with the homeless and you always complain about I don't take care of him, so I took him with me." Sherlock said still not looking at John.

John decided to drop the dog topic, Junior had survived and it seemed like Sherlock just had tried to be nice. "So what were you talking with them about?"

"Prostitutes. It seems like our killer is going after the stereotypes to show us the sins. Therefore am I sure that our next victim will be a young prostitute. I contacted my network so they could get an eye on it for me for the next two days."

"Why only two days?" asked John and frowned.

"The first victim was _planted_ to be found December the 1st, and the next December the 4th, so if the killer intends to continue this pattern…"

"Will the next be on the 8th" John finished and sighed.

"And with seven sins will it mean that the last one will be _showed off_ at Christmas Eve. We certainly have to do with a Christian who wants to honor the birth of Jesus Christ." Sherlock said and finally turned around.

"Maybe the media will actually be useful this time."

"What do you mean?" asked John.

"Well, someone must be clever enough to figure out that this is references to the seven deadly sins, and SALIGIA. And when they crack that code will they want to talk to experts. And in this case could an expert very well also be the killer."

It sounded reasonable enough, and it could certainly be nice if they had a suspect. "So what do we do now?" John asked.

"I have already taken Junior for a walk this morning, which means that you have plenty of time to watch the news, and see if they have found any experts." Sherlock said with a smirk. "I will go visit Mycroft again. Hopefully have he found something."

John should have known that there was an ulterior motive by Sherlock taken Junior with him. "So am I just supposed to watch BBC News all day?"

"Yes." He nodded "Yes that would be very nice." His smirk widened. "Well I'm off." He said and stalked toward the door.

"Sherlock!" John tried but his flat-mate just slammed the door. "You could at least have bought some popcorn!" He yelled.

oOo

With a sigh John walked to the living room and turned on the telly, and turned his chair towards it. When Junior came to him he picked the little dog up. Junior fell immediately asleep and John had the greatest desire to do the same.

"So, did you find anything?" Sherlock asked then his brother entered his own office, where Sherlock once again have had been forced to wait. Mycroft sure loved to have control over his baby brother.

"Yes and no. Mr. Thomsen did use the ATM in front of his own bank. Three times from December the 2nd to the day before he was found dead, 100£ each time." Mycroft said and looked at his brother across the expensive desk. "Does that help you?"

"Let me see the videos and then I will tell you." Sherlock replied.

"I don't get a thank you I guess." Mycroft said while he opened the laptop on his desk and found the right video files and turned the computer towards Sherlock.

The screen was split in four; it was recordings from four different cameras. The first one was build into the ATM. Daniel Thomsen was talking on his phone, on all three video files. There was no sound on the camera but that didn't matter. Daniel Thomsen was clearly not the one who did the most talking. It was just the killer's insurance to Daniel Thomsen did what he was told.

"I looked at all cameras from Mr. Thomsen's flat and to the bank. He has the phone to his ear all the way." Mycroft said.

"I will tell Lestrade to check with Thomsen's phone company. Although I do not expect the killer used his own phone." Sherlock said.

oOo

Sherlock was walking through the streets of London, while he was in deep thoughts. The videos hadn't got him any closer to who the killer might be. On the contrary, this man seemed to have it all under control. It didn't look like he would make a mistake. But there got to be something, there always was.

Sherlock walked up the stairs to 221b and to his surprise could he hear the telly was on. Had John actually watched the news all the time he had been gone?

But when he opened the door to the flat was the only one who actually watched the news Junior. He sat in Sherlock's chair and turned his head from side to side because there come some odd noises from the TV.

Sherlock walked to the kitchen where he could hear someone was taking the dishes.

"Did you know," John said with his back to Sherlock while he was drying a plate. "News channels have this annoying habit where they just tell the same news over and over again." He turned around and looked annoyed at Sherlock "All fucking day!"

"All day? I have only been gone for three hours."

"Yeah but… hey, besides why did it take you three hours to visit Mycroft?" John asked, looking confused over Sherlock's long visit at his brother's.

"I also went to talk to Lestrade and some of the homeless."

"Anything new?"

"Thomsen had also been filled with sleeping pills. So did they say something about the SALIGIA kills?" Sherlock asked.

For a brief second John looked like he didn't have any idea of what Sherlock was talking about, because he was so frustrated. "SALI…? Oh yeah." He seemed to calm down. "Well they had a pastor in to an interview. I recorded it. His name is Liam Wilson." John said and turned to the dishes again.

Sherlock smiled briefly. "Thank you."

Sherlock sat down to find the recording and John just mumbled something like _you're welcome_.


	7. New Password

**December 7****th**** – New password**

Sherlock just wanted to look Liam Wilson up on the internet before he paid the man a visit. And John's computer already stood there on the desk with power and everything, why bother to find his own?

Meanwhile it seemed that John had changed his password, again. He did that a lot. Not that it ever stopped Sherlock from using the computer. Sherlock by now found it funny to break all of John's codes. In the start had it been more personal stuff, like names and birthdays dates, but gradually did it look like John just picked something random, to make it harder, but when that didn't helped either, had he started to use insults directed directly to Sherlock. The last one had been _fuck-off-sherlock_.

So John had once again been mad at him when he had made it, because he had left John to watch the news. And John really hated the news channel for it constantly repeating itself. So maybe it was: _the-only-thing-worse-than-news-channels-is-sherlock-holmes_.

And he was in. Sherlock smiled, John was so easy.

It wasn't that hard to find Liam Wilson's address and Sherlock also found numerous photos of the religious man.

He was in his mid-fifties. The black hair were began to get grey at his temples. He had a harsh look, even when he was with his wife and children. He had three children; two sons, almost adults and a younger daughter in her early teenage years.

Wilson's wife was a couple of years younger than himself, but nothing odd about her. She was just an ordinary woman with long brown hair and almost as cold eyes as her husband.

Sherlock heard John coming up the stairs to the flat and prepared himself to be shouted at, because of the thing with the computer. John had been home late the previous night and had disappeared again early this morning, for now returning with shopping bags.

"I see you once again have cracked my code." John said annoyed, but without raising his voice.

"So you also spent the morning with that new girlfriend of yours?" Sherlock said. That was the only explanation to why John hadn't already ripped his head off for the illegal use of the computer.

"Jane. And yes we shared a brunch at a restaurant." John said from the kitchen where he was begun to unpack the groceries.

"She sounds lovely. Can't wait to hear more about her. So are you going to see her later?" Sherlock asked.

John turned around and looked at his flat-mate. "Alright Sherlock, what is it you want?"

There was no point in coming with long lie "I would like to pay Liam Wilson a little visit. And I would like if you would join me." Sherlock said and turned off the computer.

John returned to unpack the groceries. "Sorry Sherlock, I have better things to do on a Friday afternoon than break into a priest's house."

"Like what?" Sherlock asked.

John shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe come up with a new password." He threw the empty bag in the trash can.

Okay, so John was mad at him for breaking into his computer and probably also that John had had to do the shopping again. So if Sherlock wanted John to come with him he needed to change strategy.

"Think of which date it is tomorrow." Sherlock said and removed Junior from his chair, before sitting down. _Sympathy for other humans,__John's__weak spot._

John came into the living room and picked Junior up from his own chair where the pug had hopped up after being removed from Sherlock's. John sat down and let Junior sleep on his lap.

"Alright then. So if we are lucky we can capture this bastard before he kills tonight. But you do know burglary is illegal, right?" John said, the last line was dripping of sarcasm.

"Of course. That is why I need you." Sherlock said with a smile.

John wasn't sure that he would like what was going to happen next, but he said _yes _anyway.

oOo

Liam Wilson and his family lived in a fine house a couple of streets away from his church. Sherlock and John were standing on the sidewalk on the other side of street and looked at the Wilson's house.

"So what is the plan then?" John asked and shoved his hands into his pockets to protect them from the cold weather.

"We pretend that we come from a newspaper and want to do an interview with him about the SALIGIA kills. And while you play the journalist will I take a look around and see if I can find anything. He most have some kind of office."

"So basically this is gonna be like that time we visited Kenny Prince?"

"Yes, more or less." Sherlock said and started to walk towards the house.

But just as Sherlock was about to knock on the door, the door was opened and John and Sherlock stood face to face with Liam Wilson. The pastor got a shock when he saw the two strangers at his doorstep.

"Can I help you two with something?" he asked and closed the door behind him.

"Yes." Sherlock said "We would like to do an interview about the SALIGIA kills."

Wilson looked at the camera Sherlock had in his hand and then looked to John. "I am sorry gentlemen, but I already have an appointment, excuse me." He said and pushed his way past them.

Sherlock and John turned to see the man take his car and drive away.

"So what now?" John asked. "We can't just break in."

"No, and his wife and daughter are probably home." Sherlock said "Let's instead see where he is heading. Maybe he will lead us to the next victim."

"But we have no idea where he is heading right now." John said. Not even Sherlock Holmes could guess that without any clues.

Sherlock sighed and walked back to the street. "His hand John. He had the name of the restaurant written on his hand."

John wouldn't even try to defend himself and his poor observation skills, Sherlock would have the last word anyway.

oOo

John and Sherlock took a taxi to the little restaurant there was over 20 kilometers from the pastor's house. Before they went inside did they secure that Wilson was not sitting just inside so he would see them immediately. But luckily he sat in the other end of the room. Alone.

"Do you think he is gonna meet with the victim here?" John whispered as they sat down at a table there was out of the pastor's sight.

"Maybe." Sherlock said and hold an eye on the pastor.

After five minutes there came another man and sat across Wilson. They began to talk. Sherlock couldn't hear what they were talking about, but that didn't matter because the next thing they did told it all. Wilson's guest leaned over the table and kissed the man.

"I guess that explains why he picked a restaurant so far from his home." John said. He couldn't help but feeling disappointed. He had hoped they actually had found the man they were looking for. But instead was it just a man who wasn't come out of the closet.

But no matter how disappointed John felt he knew Sherlock felt ten times worse, because this meant that he had guessed wrong.

"So what now?" John asked because Sherlock didn't say anything.

"Well obviously this means that another person will be found dead tomorrow." Sherlock said without any sign of sympathy in his voice.

John hated when his friend acted as a complete asshole. But no matter what did John know Sherlock was right.


	8. Something New

**Finally have I written the last chapter for today. Three in one day, that was hard ;)**

* * *

**December 8****th**** – Something New**

John was awoken early that morning by Sherlock. Normally he would get irritated of his friend, but he already knew it as soon as Sherlock shouted his name outside his bedroom door. There had been a third murder. It was official now; they had to do with a serial killer.

John quickly found some clothes and went downstairs where Sherlock already waited in his coat.

oOo

It was only 6:30 when John and Sherlock arrived at the crime scene. A dark and filthy alley in the middle of London.

The police had cordoned off and on the other side of the tape were a dozen of news reporters, journalists and photographers. But none were let in.

John had tried to prepare himself of which bizarre things he was about to see, but without any luck.

Like they had thought was this victim a young woman. Like Kate Sanders was she only in her underwear. She sat in a chair spray painted with gold paint. She looked directly at them with her dead wide open eyes. On her head, like a crown, was the skin of a goat head with the horns and the rest of the goat's skin were hanging down her back like a cloak.

"Those murders get weirder and weirder." John said. He couldn't look away from the dead woman's bizarre crown. It made him sick to his stomach.

"He is starting to get more daring, a public place this time. He really wants people to know now." Sherlock said. "And there are also something else new this time." He smiled briefly; the murderer was testing new methods.

"Her throat hasn't been cut." John said then he noticed there wasn't any blood this time.

"Correctly." Sherlock said and took a closer look at her. _What had when killed her? _No handcuff marks on her wrists like the two others. Her fingernails were all fine and intact and she had not any bruises. So she had not been hold as a prisoner like Sanders and Thomsen, because if she had she would have struggled, unless she had been drugged all the time, which pointed on a much stronger anesthetic than ordinary sleeping pills. And there would probably be a hole from a needle somewhere on her body.

He checked her arms. Nothing. But then he looked at the side of her neck, and saw the tiny red mark from the injection.

"She has been killed with an overdose." Sherlock said and walked back to Lestrade and John. "I want to know with what."

"I will see if I can make them accelerate the autopsy." Lestrade said. "If I go really hard on them I think you can have it tomorrow."

"Fine." Sherlock said.

"Who found her?" John asked and turned his back to the dead woman, so he didn't have to look at her.

"Well that is almost the worst." Lestrade said. "An old lady there was out looking for her cat. And she is more than willing to talk with the press about what she has seen."

John could imagine how the papers and TV would love that.

oOo

Sherlock could hear John talking with someone, and it was undoubtedly not Mrs. Hudson. Sherlock sighed; he was not in the mood to meet the latest of John's girlfriends.

But two seconds later came John and Jane into the flat.

Junior began immediately to bark when he saw the stranger; Sherlock hoped for a brief moment that she was afraid of dogs. But Jane squatted down and made an _awww _sound then she saw the little pug. Sherlock sighed mentally, no one was ever afraid of Junior.

"Come here sweetie." Jane said with a sugar sweet voice to the dog. "I'm not dangerous."

This seemed to convince Junior and he sniffed tentatively to Jane's hand.

"I love dogs." She said and smiled to John. "My brother has dogs, but they are much bigger than this little guy." She said, before she stood again. "And you must be Sherlock?" she said and reached out a hand for Sherlock to shake.

Sherlock just looked briefly at her. "Hello." He turned his head back to the computer. Not that he had anything to do on it. He had no name on the woman from this morning, and therefore no information to go on with. Liam Wilson had been a dead end, but it seemed like he was the only expert all the TV station wanted to use, because he had written a book about the deadly sins, while he clearly had breached one of them himself. _Luxuria_. So what Sherlock really was doing right now was just searching for facts about the sins and their meaning for the Christians, especially the Catholics. Maybe could it help him later on.

"Jane what about you go out and make us some tea? I'm sure you will find the cups easily." John said and nudged Jane toward the kitchen. When she was out of hearing vide, he took the computer from Sherlock. "What is the matter with you?" John hissed.

"I don't find it necessary to talk to your new girlfriend." Sherlock replied in a low voice.

"If you don't behave, I promise, there will be another murder today." John whispered and put the computer back on the table and went out to help Jane with the tea.

Sherlock didn't understand why it was so important for John that Sherlock meet all of his girlfriends. It always ended the same way very time; the broke up. He did not understand why it was so important for John to always have a girlfriend. It was a mystery for Sherlock, the one he never would solve.

A couple of minutes later John sat a mug with tea beside Sherlock's hand. "Say something nice to her." He mumbled.

Sherlock looked to the side and saw the woman was sitting on the floor, playing with Junior and the dog's teddy bear.

"I like your new shoes." Sherlock said. That was a nice thing. Women loved to be complicated on their looks.

Jane looked up from the dog. "Well thank you. But have did you know they are new?"

"I can see the soles of your shoes. They are not worn and there is still a sticker with the price on. And they have been expensive I can see. Don't worry; you don't have to buy expensive things to impress John. That will cause that he wants to buy you an expensive gift and he don't have the money for that." Sherlock faked a smile.

But while Sherlock was smiling, Jane almost dropped her jaw. "I… I don't…" She didn't know how to finish her sentence.

"Well, Jane, what about we just go now?" John said and put down his mug.

"Yeah, yeah that sounds good." Jane said and stood without taken her eyes of Sherlock.

"Where are you going?" Sherlock asked.

"The movies." John just said and gave Jane her jacket. "Don't forget to feed Junior." He said before he closed the door behind him and Jane.

There did not past many seconds before Sherlock received a text.

_For your own best I hope you sleep when I come home._


	9. A substitute for John

**December 9th – A substitute for John**

It was all over the news both on TV and in the papers. The media had named him the _SALIGIA-killer_. Now when everybody knows about the order for the kills, the city seemed to panic even more than before. Because everyone was asking themselves, am I the next one? Am I so envious that someone wants to kill me for it? Am I too angry? Or too lazy? The most of London were scared, just what the killer wanted.

John saw this panic when he was at the baker and buying bread and milk for his breakfast. He saw how people were looking at the covers of the papers; he saw the panic in their eyes.

But he would rather be out here with other people than home at 221b. Sherlock was just walking around in the living room, waiting for Lestrade to call. He had already called the DI twice, but Lestrade hadn't anything for him yet.

But now John didn't have any choice, he had to go back. Whether he had to to deal with a grumpy Sherlock or not.

Meanwhile in the flat was Sherlock tired of waiting for Lestrade to call. In general he just hated when he had to wait for things to happen, because that meant that he not had it all under control.

"Why does it take so long? I am tired of this, John." Sherlock said he hadn't yet discovered that the other man had left half an hour before.

Junior who had been sleeping on the couch woke up when Sherlock said _John_; simply because he was so used to Sherlock called him all sorts of names. _John, dog, stupid thing_, the list was long. Too long for a little pug, but since _John_ was one of Sherlock's favorite substitutes for Junior, did the dog also react on that name.

"What about we go through the information we already have, John." Sherlock said. He needed to do something. But he still didn't realize he was alone.

Junior jumped down from the couch and tried to get Sherlock's attention by scratching on his master's foot. Because he was sure Sherlock was talking to him.

Sherlock looked down at the dog, and finally realized John had left. Sherlock sighed annoyed. "Well I guess I can go through information with you then, you give just as good inputs as John." He picked up the dog and stood, because he had pictures of the victims and all other information in the case hanging around the mirror over the fireplace.

"So we have Kate Sanders, self-centered and glad for expensive things. The second victim, Daniel Thomsen, had a lot of money but hated charity, would not even help his own sister when she needed it the most. How do I know? I talked with her. When? When John was on a date with his new girlfriend. She told me she had been broken and almost homeless, but her brother wouldn't lend her any money. Do I think she is the murderer? No, she had good alibis for the dates of Sanders' and her brother's murder. And then there is our latest victim." Sherlock said and looked at the nameless girl.

In the same John came into the flat. "What are you two doing?" he asked when he saw his flat-mate standing with the pug.

"We were just going through the facts we have so far." Sherlock said and put the dog down.

John smiled as he walked to the kitchen. "Did you get anything out of it?"

"Nope. I'm still waiting to hear from Lestrade." Sherlock said.

"Well that can take hours; you should do something else in the meantime. What about some breakfast?" John said and started on the coffee.

"Okay. I guess I just as well can eat while I wait." Sherlock said and took the paper John had bought.

_Serial killer wants to play God,_ was the headliner.

oOo

It was late in the afternoon before Sherlock got a call from Lestrade.

"So do you have anything new?" Sherlock asked.

"Yes first of all, her name is Ana Grey, 21-years-old. She run away from home when she was 18, her parents haven't seen her since. She lived with a friend who had the same _profession_ as Miss Grey."

"When did the friend see Miss Grey last time?" Sherlock asked.

"Around 9p.m. Friday. Ellen James, her flat-mat, said Ana was out visiting a costumer."

"Did she have the man's name?"

"No. They never shared things like that with each other."

"What about a calendar? Did she have one?"

"Miss James said Ana used her mobile phone for that, but she had it on her when she disappeared. So nothing there either."

So far they still didn't have much useful facts.

"What about the drug?" Sherlock asked.

"It was called…" Sherlock heard how Lestrade was sifting through some papers. "It is called ketamine." Lestrade finished. "Does that say anything to you?"

"It is a common anesthetic, often used by veterinarians." Sherlock said.

"Yes that makes sense; she had enough of this in her body to knock out a horse in under a minute."

"This could mean it was a doctor or veterinarian. Do you have a list over all of Thomsen's clients?" Sherlock asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"E-mail it to me. I want to see if anyone of them are veterinarians or doctors."

"I only have their names; I don't have their professions too. What are you gonna do? Look all of them up on Facebook?" Lestrade said sarcastically.

"No." Sherlock smiled "I have something much better than Facebook. Just send it to me." Sherlock said and cancelled the call.

"So anything new?" John asked almost excited.

"Our killer has access to ketamine, and I know just the man who can tell us if any of Thomsen's clients have that." Sherlock said and wrote a text on his phone.

_Hello dear brother, I have another little task for you. You will find much more information in my e-mail. S_

Sherlock took his computer and sat down at the desk, finally it looked like they were getting somewhere.


	10. Doctor visits

**December 10th – Doctor visits**

Mycroft had sent back a list with all of Thomson's clients' professions. Three of them caught Sherlock's attention; there were two vets and a doctor. And he had a plan, he would visit the two vets and John should talk with the doctor. Now he just needed to tell John about his plan.  
It was early in the morning when both men were sitting in their chairs, John reading the morning paper and Sherlock playing the violin.  
"I think I will take Junior to the vet today." Sherlock said and stopped playing.  
John put down the paper and frowned. "Why? He is not sick or anything."  
Sherlock looked at the pug who was sleeping on the floor between the two chairs. "I think he sleeps too much." Sherlock mumbled.  
"He's a pug, pugs sleeps a lot." John said and flung his arms. He could not see what Sherlock's problem was.

"I know that." Sherlock said, he had read a lot about pugs on the internet since John had bought that little creature. He sighed. "I don't take him to the vet because he sleeps a lot. I just use him as an excuse to talk to the vets on Mycroft's list."  
"Oh yeah, of course." said John and felt a bit stupid for not realizing that before.  
"And you're going to the doctor." Sherlock said. "And tomorrow we look at the other vet, if necessary."

oOo

Sherlock had never been at the vet before. The only time Junior had been at the vet had it been John who had taken it there.  
But now was Sherlock in the room looking at the vet, Simon Galvin.  
The man was in his late 30's; he was tall and had short brown hair. And he had this happy atmosphere all around him.  
"So Mr. Holmes, what is the problem with this little guy?" Galvin asked and patted Junior's head.  
"I have thought about let him be castrated. But I would like to hear an expert's opinion first." Sherlock said and come up with one of his fake smiles.  
"Do you live near someone who has a bitch?" Galvin asked.  
Sherlock shook his head.  
"Well, unless it is a problem I don't find it necessary." Galvin said with a smile.  
Simon Galvin seemed very calm and down to earth. Either he was harmless, or he was a perfect calm psychopath.  
"Okay. But what if I wanted to let him be castrated, what would you anesthetize him with then? Because I really care about Junior and wants to know he will be treated."  
"Always good to hear that there people who care so much about their pets." Galvin said and turned to one of the cupboards there were behind him. "I would use this." He said and showed a little glass bottle with a sticker there said KETAMINE. "It is very common anesthetic, it is also used on humans."  
"I see." Said Sherlock and nodded. "Well I will think about it, but now then I am here, could you do a routine check on Junior? Just to check that everything is as it should be."

"Yes, of course." Galvin said and took a closer look at the dog.  
"So have you heard about that SALIGIA-killer, uh?" Sherlock asked.  
Galvin sighed and looked a bit sad. "Yes, very tragic."  
Sherlock looked at the man's face, his reaction seemed real enough.  
Galvin looked up from the dog and saw Sherlock was looking at him. The man frowned. "Is there something wrong?"  
"No, no. Everything is fine; I would just see how Junior reacted. Sometimes he doesn't like strangers." Sherlock said and smiled again.  
"Okay…" Galvin said but he still looked a bit suspicious at Sherlock.

After a few minutes had he finished looking at Junior. "I must say Mr. Holmes, it is a very fine dog you have. There is nothing wrong with him." Galvin said.

"Good to hear." Sherlock said and took Junior in his arms. "But I will let you know if I want to let him be castrated."

Sherlock left the clinic, convinced that he needed to see the other vet too before he made any conclusions. But there was something about Simon Galvin that said Sherlock that the man did hide something.

oOo

"Good day Mr. Watson" Dr. Johnson said.

"Good day doctor." John answered and shook the man's hand.

Dr. Johnson sat down in his office chair and John took the chair meant for patients. It was a long time ago since he had been the patient.

"So what does seem to be the problem, Mr. Watson?" Dr. Johnson asked.

John looked at the other man; he was bald and had Harry Potter look alike glasses John would say that the man was around the same age as himself. He did not look like a serial killer, but then again, they never do.

"It's my shoulder." John said. That was the best lie he could come up with, that his old injury had begun to hurt again.

"Have you talked with your own doctor?" Dr. Johnson asked.

"Yes, he doesn't think it is anything to worry about."

John looked around in the room; to his eyes once again fell on Dr. Johnson. How on earth was he supposed to tell if the man was a psychopath who had killed three people?

"Well, let's take a look then." the doctor said and stood so he could take a closer look at John's shoulder. "If you please will take off your shirt."

John did as he was told.

Dr. Johnson looked at his scar. "What on Earth have happened to you?" he asked.

"I… I got shot, in Afghanistan." John answered. This was a bad idea. How was he ever supposed to turn the topic around, and talk about the murders?

Dr. Johnson frowned. "What was your name again?"

"John Watson." John did not like the turning this was taking; it was supposed to be him who asked the questions, not the other man.

Dr. Johnson began to laugh. "Of course John, I thought I had seen you before. We went to Bart's together. Benjamin Johnson, remember?"

Actually John did remember, now. How on Earth did he keep forgetting about his old class mates? "Yes, Benjamin, how could I forget?" The guy had always been a prick. "But you look different now."

"Yes, yes I know." He smiled and ran a hand over his bald head. "I look like a cross between Harry Potter and Voldemort." He laughed again.

John just smiled briefly. Because Johnson did look like Voldemort.

"But you're doing alright aren't you?" Benjamin asked. "Running around London, solving crimes with a private detective that must be fun! I have read your blog, very interesting things."

"Thanks." John said, and finally found a way to turn the topic to the SALIGIA-killer. "Yeah it is fun, but also very tiring and stressful. Especially this case with the SALIGIA-killer."

"Oh yes, the Christian fanatic. I have never had so many people coming and asking for sedative because they are so afraid. It is good for the business." He said and laughed again.

John did not laugh. Benjamin Johnson had not become a killer; he had just become an even bigger prick.


	11. Date Night

**December 11****th**** – Date Night**

"Come on Junior, we're going to the doctor." Sherlock said and picked up the dog.

Junior didn't do anything. The little pug was too overwhelmed by all the attention he suddenly got from Sherlock.

"Poor Junior, I would hate to go to the doctor two day in a row." John said while he was reading the morning paper.

"You're a doctor too John, that means people hate to see you too." Sherlock replied.

"Only if they see me at the clinic, no one likes to go to the doctor often." John smiled.

Sherlock sighed mentally; John wasn't fun to argue with when he had a girlfriend. He was too happy all the time, especially just before and after he was going to see her.

"You have a date tonight." Sherlock concluded.

"How did you…? Never mind." John put down the paper. "Actually it is not a real date."

"Why not?" Sherlock asked, not because he ever had been on a _normal_ or _real_ date. So he hadn't anything to compare with, but he did know the basic things, there had to be two people who had some kind of interest in each other and…

"Because you're gonna be there." John said.

Sherlock stared at him for a long time. "I am? I don't remember saying yes to anything like that John, and you know I remember quite well."

Junior who now was tired of being in Sherlock's arms started to wriggle, but Sherlock just tightened the grip.

"Trust me it isn't my idea. But Jane wanna give you a second chance, so you're coming!" John said.

"Second chance?" Sherlock couldn't see what was wrong with their last meeting.

"I am not going to argue with you about this. You just make sure to be here at 6 o'clock." John said and pointed at the floor.

"Or what?" Sherlock said and narrowed his eyes.

"Trust me," John said and picked up the paper "You don't wanna know."

oOo

Sam Miller, the other vet, was a couple of years younger than Simon Galvin and a bit heavier build. He had shaggy blond hair and a ridicules moustache.

"Morning Mr Holmes." Miller said and looked at Junior who had been sat on the table. "Oh a pug, I see, your girlfriend's decision right?"

"No." Sherlock just answered. He was already annoyed by the conversation he just had had with John, and this man was just making it even worse. "A friend bought it."

"Oh!" Miller said and smirked "So you're…" He poked his two index fingers against each other.

How on Earth had this man completed a medical education? Sherlock had seen children with a higher IQ. Anderson had a higher IQ.

"Aren't you going to look at the dog?" Sherlock snarled.

"Oh yes of course." Miller said and clapped his hands together, which scared Junior so he crawled over to Sherlock and wanted to be taken up.

This couldn't be acting; no one could act to be so stupid if they not actually were.

"What if I wanted to let my dog be castrated. What would you anesthetize it with?" Sherlock asked.

Miller frowned. "What? Do you wanna know what I will anesthetize it with? Why?"

"Because I care about my dog." Sherlock snarled.

"Well…" Miller turned and looked in one of the cupboards. "It is something called ketamine. Does it calm you to know that?" he asked.

"Yes, very much…" Sherlock mumbled. He took Junior into his arms. "I will call if I will let you castrate him." Sherlock said.

This wasn't the man. A man this stupid could not murder three people, without leaving any traces. He would not even be able to kill a watermelon without leaving traces.

oOo

At the stroke of 6 Sherlock was sitting in his chair waiting for Jane to arrive. She was 5 minutes late, when she called John and said she was on her way.

"Why do I have to be here on time, when she doesn't?" Sherlock asked.

"I swear, if you don't behave, I will not speak to you before after New Year, and you have to do all the shopping yourself, and all the experiments in the kitchen are gonna end in the trash can." John said.

Sherlock rolled his eyes when John turned his back on him.

2 minutes later Junior began to bark when he could hear someone on the stairs. But he calmed when he saw it was just Jane.

"Hello Junior." Jane said and squatted down to say hello to the little dog. "I have something for you." She said and took a dog bone up from the plastic bag she had with her.

Junior took the bone and looked proud as he walked over to Sherlock, to show his master his newest possession.

Sherlock looked down at the dog; the bone was almost as long Junior himself. "You're never gonna eat that, what a stupid gift for such a little dog.

Jane pretended she didn't hear that and gave John a kiss.

"I will see how it is going with the chicken." John said and send Sherlock a look there said_ behave_.

Jane sat down in John's chair. "So Sherlock, how is it going with the case?"

"Fine." Were the only respond she got.

"Okay… and where are you going to spend Christmas?" she asked.

Sherlock looked at her and saw she smiled. How difficult could it be to see that he didn't wanted to chit chat with her?

"I don't know." Sherlock answered.

John heard have badly the conversation was going in the living room and rushed into the room. "I think I am gonna visit my sister." He said and sat on the armrest of the chair Jane was sitting in.

"How's it going with the drinking?" Sherlock asked.

If looks could kill would Sherlock Holmes be a dead man. "Fine." John said "Her and Clara are getting back together."

"Clara?" Jane looked at him, she almost looked surprised. "You've never told your sister is, you know, gay."

"No…" now it was John who seemed surprised. "I have not found it necessary to tell. Is it a problem to you?"

"No, no! Of course not." She said quickly. "I just… I don't know." She stood "I am going to the bathroom, excuse me." She said and walked out the room.

A tiny half-smile sneaked onto Sherlock's lips. It seemed like the mood for the evening was ruined a bit, and it was not even his fault .

"What is the problem with her?" John asked and sat down in the chair.

Sherlock shrugged. "Maybe she is afraid that Harry will hit on her if they meet."

"Ha! Like I ever would let that happen." John said and smiled.

"It's the 12th tomorrow John." Sherlock said.

John's smiled disappeared and he sighed. "I know. Are you closer to figure out who the killer is?"

"My best guess will be Simon Galvin, but I don't have any proofs."

John hid his face in his hands. "So we have nothing?" he looked at Sherlock "Can't we spy on him or anything?"

"I have already checked. He is not home, but I will check again later."

John nodded.

Jane came back into the living room, and apologized one more time. Neither Harry nor murder was mentioned again that night.

* * *

**I'm not home tomorrow, so no update until Thursday :)**


	12. Here is too cold

**December 12****th**** – Here is too cold**

The previous night had Sherlock been out multiplies times. He had been checking to see if Simon Galvin was home, but the man had not come home as long as Sherlock had been watching his home. And that had been as late as 3 in the morning.

So now Sherlock just waited. Waited for Lestrade to call and say that there had been another murder. But he didn't.

Instead Mrs Hudson knocked on the door before she let herself in. "Sherlock dear, I have a letter for you." She said and showed him an envelope she had in her hand.

Sherlock came up quickly from the chair, and was over by Mrs Hudson in no time. "Who delivered it?" he asked and looked at the envelope. There was written SHERLOCK HOLMES on it with clumsy capital letters.

"I don't know it has just been pushed under the front door." She said.

Sherlock opened the envelope and found a letter written on computer, in Times New Roman size 12. That was the standard for a new Word document, so that did not help him much.

"What is it dear?" Mrs Hudson asked.

"Just an address." Sherlock mumbled. But there was no doubt that this was the address of the next murder scene. "Thank you Mrs Hudson."

Mrs Hudson gave him a long speech about that he should be careful, before she left.

"JOHN!" Sherlock shouted to wake up his flat-mate before he called DI Lestrade and told him that he knew where they could find the next murder victim.

"Have they found another body?" John asked as he rushed down the stairs.

"No." Sherlock handed John the paper when he reached the end of the stairs. "The killer himself has told us where to look."

John saw the envelope in Sherlock's hand. "He knows who you are."

"Yes."

"That means he knows you're on the case."

"Excellent deduced John." Sherlock said and took the paper back. "That also means we already have talked with him."

"We?"

"You told that _friend_ of yours." Sherlock said.

"Benjamin Johnson is many things, but he is certainly not a friend, but I don't think he is a killer either."

"Never mind, the point is, it has to be someone we already know, and the reduced the list of suspects."

"So it has to be one of the two vets or Johnson." John said.

Sherlock nodded. "Yes, most likely." His best guess was still Simon Galvin.

oOo

It was the same building as where they had found Kate Sanders.

"Why this isolated place again?" John asked as they entered the building.

"No one comes here. He has plenty of time to set up the scene." Sherlock responded.

They walked around in the empty cold building trying to find the body. They all had flashlights because the lamps did not work. They had been walking around for almost 10 minutes, before Lestrade called.

Sherlock and John came from two different directions and entered the room along with Lestrade.

It was a small room, an old office, like where they had found Sanders. But instead of a bizarre looking crime scene like it had been the last three times, they only saw the body of a woman. She was lying on the floor full dressed and stared at the ceiling with her wide open cold eyes.

"Are you sure it is the same killer?" John asked. There was something wrong. He walked to the desk and leaned against it, putting his hands on the surface.

"I will go and find the forensics." Lestrade said. The true was that he did not want to be kicked out of Sherlock, so he left voluntary.

Sherlock looked at the body. No blood, she had been drugged like Ana Grey, killed by an overdose. But where was the relation to snakes? Sherlock had squatted down and looked at her wrists, no marks she had been killed immediately, like Grey.

"AW! FUCK!" John screamed.

Sherlock stood and turned around. John rubbed his left hand which was bleeding, and he kept swearing. Sherlock looked at the table where a full grown black and yellow bungarus was looking at him. It wasn't a big fat snake it did not look very dangerous, but Sherlock knew it was.

"Fuck." John said again. "That bloody thing bit me."

"Because it's too cold in here. Snakes needs to be warm places that is why it have crawled up on the chair and then table and probably why it attacked you. It is frustrated." Sherlock said. "We should leave the room." He said and stepped over the body and walked out the room.

As soon as John also was out of the room, Sherlock slammed the door. He found his phone "John you just need to stay calm, hold your hand down, and actually just sit down. And take off your shoes." he called Lestrade.

"My shoes?" John was confused.

"Yes, just do it!" Sherlock said.

"All right, all right." John said and did as he was told.

Sherlock now spoke to Lestrade on the phone "I need you to drive John to the hospital, and find someone who can handle a poisonous snake."

John looked at him confused and full of panic. "Poisonous?"

"Yes, there is a snake." Sherlock answered Lestrade's question, ignoring John. "No, the snake didn't kill her. Just find someone who can take care of the snake so I can go back into the room." Sherlock said and hang up on him.

"What did you mean with poisonous snake?" John asked again.

"It's a bungarus, not the most common pet in England, it's most likely illegal imported from Asia. And you need to stay calm."

John was frustrated, how was he supposed to stay calm when Sherlock just told him that he had been bitten by a poisonous snake? And another ting, he hated when Sherlock didn't answered the most obvious question. "Can this kill me?" John asked. He was glad he sat down because he began to see black spots.

Sherlock squatted down beside him, and looked at him. "You're not going to die, that would take 6-12 hours and that is only if you don't get the right medication. Lestrade can drive you to the hospital just as quick as an ambulance and they know what to do."

John nodded, now he fell completely calm 6 hours, _lovely_. He was sweating and felt really bad. He saw how Sherlock was looking at the door. "You're not going in there again as long as it is in there." John said.

Sherlock turned his attention to John again. "Of course not. That would be incredibly stupid. And beside I can't just leave you here."

They now heard footsteps, it was Lestrade.

"Finally." Sherlock mumbled and helped John to his feet.

"Are he gonna all right?" Lestrade asked Sherlock.

"Yes, we just need to get him to the hospital."

"Are you coming with us?" John asked Sherlock.

Sherlock sighed. "Of course I am. Someone needs to tell them what bit you."

John just smiled. He knew Sherlock secretly did care for other.

* * *

**I do not know if all the snake facts are 100% correct, I do not know much about them, just what I found online :)**


	13. Sherlock vs Jane

**December 13****th**** – Sherlock vs. Jane**

"_Sherlock will you do me a favour?" John asked as they were driving to the hospital._

"_What?" Sherlock responded._

"_Call Jane and tell her what happened." _

"_Of course." _

That had been yesterday, and Sherlock had still not called Jane. Why should he? She would just panic and stress both herself and John when she entered the hospital. No he did not wanted to call her. But now was John in his bed back at 221B and John would get angry with Sherlock if he did not call Jane at all. So he send a text, where he wrote the most important things in the case about the snake attack. He knew he couldn't calm her down, so a text was better.

And he didn't get any respond, wonderful. Everything was under control and now he just waited to hear more from Lestrade. Sherlock had already done what he could; he had planted one of the homeless out in front of the building where Galvin lived, so he could tell him if anything interesting happened. And he had talked with another guy he knew in the _underworld_ who owed him a favour and who had connections when it had to do with illegal animals. But he didn't know anything about any bungarus there had been bought of anyone in London lately. But the snake did not come from a zoo, so it had had to be bought somewhere. But Sherlock would not follow that trace any further, it would give him too few information compared to that amount of time it took him to investigate it.

Junior came over to Sherlock and began to squeak because he hadn't got his breakfast. Sherlock sighed and got up; there were so many dog related things to do when John wasn't around to do it. Sherlock got the dog food and poured a rather large potion down in the food bowl.

Sherlock had just returned to his chair and picked up the paper, when he heard someone hurried up the stairs. And before he could do anything Jane burst into the room.

"Where is John?" she asked, she was out of breath.

Sherlock lowered the paper so he could see her, she looked frustrated. She had just left home; in fact, she had just left the shower for her hair was still wet. "He sleeps."

"Why didn't you contact me earlier? Why didn't you _call_ me?" she asked angrily.

Sherlock shrugged. "The doctor said John needed peace and tranquillity, so why would I call you? You would just stress him." Sherlock said and began to read the paper again. He had not even woke John to talk about the case, so why wake him so he could talk with his girlfriend? He had plenty of time to do that latter.

Jane tore the paper from him. "Tell me what happened, because this," she threw her phone at him "isn't an explanation."

Sherlock looked at the screen and saw the text he had send her earlier.

_Jane, John wanted me to tell you that he got bitten yesterday by a bungarus snake. But he isn't dead so everything is alright. And please don't visit, John need to relax. Sherlock_

Sherlock couldn't see what was wrong with the text that explained everything succinctly. But it seemed that he had to give her a longer version of what happened the day before. So he did.

"I still can't believe you waited this long to text me." She said.

Sherlock was about to reply when he got a text from Lestrade. The DI wanted to meet him at Bart's. "I've to go now." Sherlock said and stood. He handed Jane her phone again. "If you want to stay here just do it."

He took his scarf and coat before she could say anything. It was good John wasn't alone.

oOo

Sherlock meet with Lestrade and Molly in the morgue.

"Hello Sherlock." Molly said with a big smile "Where is John?"

"He's sick." was the only response she got of that case "Have you anything about the woman?" he asked Lestrade just as must as Molly.

"She also got killed with an overdose of ketamine. Right in the carotid artery." Molly said. "No signs of struggle."

"And do we know her name?" Sherlock said.

"Clara Wood. 34-years-old, single mother." Lestrade said.

"Poor kids, what about them?" Molly asked.

"They are been send to their father and his new wife." Lestrade said.

Single mother, ex-husband gets new wife, she isn't getting anywhere. Maybe all her friends also get married and lives happily lives. That could cause envy.

Anything else?" Sherlock asked.

"Yes actually," Lestrade said "we have a connection this time, to Daniel Thomson. They worked in the same bank. She was his secretary."

Sherlock smiled briefly. How perfect! That also gave her connection to Simon Galvin. But he wouldn't tell Lestrade about this yet, he needed proofs.

oOo

John felt good when he woke up. It had been lovely to sleep in. His left hand was wrapped in bandages, and he could still feel the wound itch, but otherwise he felt fine.

He walked down to the living room to ask Sherlock if there was anything new in the case, but instead of his flat-mate he found his girlfriend with Junior, they were watching telly, or well, Junior as always had fallen asleep.

"Jane, how long have you been here?" he asked with a smile.

"About an hour." She smiled back at him.

He sat down in his chair while Jane had taken Sherlock's.

"I was given strict orders not to wake you up." She said.

"Really? Did Sherlock actually hear what the doctor said yesterday? Unusual, he usually tends to only listen to himself."

"I can imagine that." She said and the both laugh a bit.

"So he did call you?" John asked. That was even more surprising.

"Well, he send a text. An hour and a half ago."

John sighed, now he could recognise Sherlock again.


	14. A typical morning in 221b

**Sorry I had completely forgotten about the Christmas party I had to go to yesterday, so I didn't have time to write the chapter. So here it is, and****No. 15 comes in a few hours.**

* * *

**December 14****th**** – A typical morning in 221b**

Sherlock lay on the sofa staring at the ceiling while he heard how John and Jane were talking and giggling. They were watching telly and eating breakfast. How dull. And the entire night before had they also been watching bad TV programs and a Christmas movie with an obviously ending. Boring. And then Jane decided to stay for the night.

Sherlock had thought about if she had misunderstood what he had said the day before: _If you want to stay just do it._ Because now it seemed like she wouldn't leave.

Junior came over to John and wanted breakfast too. He would prefer to get John and Jane's.

"Sherlock can you feed Junior?" John asked.

"Not now, I am busy." Sherlock said sounding more bored than ever.

John turned his head and saw Sherlock didn't were doing anything. "With what?"

"I'm thinking."

"Well can't you think while you feed our dog?" John said and returned to the telly.

Sherlock didn't respond. He had fed Junior the day before, now it was John's turn.

Junior began to bark at John, because no one apparently was willing to feed him and that isn't funny if you're a hungry little pug.

John sighed and got up. "Alright, come here Junior, I will give you your breakfast." He said and walked to the kitchen followed by the dog.

Jane turned her head and looked annoyed at Sherlock "Why is it you can't do anything yourself? Last night John got your phone for you three times!"

Sherlock shrugged. "He could just let it ring."

"You're investigating a serial killer, of course you have to answer your phone, it could be something important." Jane hissed.

Sherlock wondered how long it would be before she would leave it used to be at this point John's girlfriends got tired of Sherlock and broke up with John. Not that Sherlock wanted John to be alone; he just wished John would find someone who wasn't as annoying as many of them were.

"Maybe should we go for a walk, Jane." John said when he returned from the kitchen.

"No. we have to focus on the case, John." Sherlock said.

John struck out with his hand in the direction of Sherlock "But you're just lying there, _thinking_!" John said with raised voice.

Sherlock sat up "Because you're just _sitting_ there watching telly with your girlfriend." Sherlock answered.

"You know what," Jane said and stood "I think I just leave, so you two can discuss like that old couple you are."

"Fine, maybe we can get to work now." Sherlock said while John tried to calm Jane.

She ignored John and turned to look at Sherlock "I don't get it; I don't understand how John can stand this every single day. How he can live with someone like you."

Sherlock sighed "I thought you were leaving? What about going to work? Because I guess you must have some kind of job. And if you did leave, John and I could do our job and try to solve this case."

"Right now I just go home, but if it interests you, I do have a job. I am a freelance journalist. And maybe my next article should be about how frustrating it is to be around the great Sherlock Holmes."

"What about finish the one you already are working on. I could see that you was stressed but didn't know over what but now it seems like it is a deadline. Isn't the article going well?"

"It is going fine, thanks." She narrowed her eyes. "How did you know?"

"You have been biting your nails because you're stressed. Not particularly charming is it?"

"Sherlock!" John said in a warning tone.

"Just forget it John, it seems like it is impossible to teach him how to talk to other people without insulting them." She said and stalked out the door and slammed it.

"Well done Sherlock, very well." John hissed and ran after her.

Sherlock lay back down, John would come back.

oOo

It took three hours before John would talk to him again.

"She wouldn't even talk to me." John said when he finally spoke, after they had been sitting in the same room since John had come back.

"We need to tell Lestrade about Simon Galvin, I need to see his flat." Sherlock said he was still lying on the sofa staring at the ceiling.

John chose not to start an argument with Sherlock, because he knew after all, that Sherlock was right. "Do you think Lestrade can get you access? Because we have no real evidences, so it might be difficult."

Sherlock knew John was right, but he would get into Galvin's flat with or without the police's permission. Actually would it be best if Lestrade didn't know, because that would also mean that Galvin would find out. So if he didn't have anything in the flat, but was guilty, he would have plenty of time to disappear.

"Forget what I said." Sherlock said and sat up.

John frowned, that was not typical Sherlock to say things like that. That was the same as admitting he was wrong. "Why?"

"Because we will break into Galvin's flat tomorrow, he most leave his flat at some point." Sherlock said.

John didn't say anything; he did not like the idea of breaking into anyone's home. But Sherlock probably knew what he was doing, at least John hoped so.


	15. The burglary

**December 15****th**** – The burglary**

Galvin had not been much at home, and now he was leaving again. Sherlock took the chance and counted on that the man would be away for a while. At least 15 minutes.

"I will go in, and you phone me if he comes back." Sherlock said to John as they crossed the road.

"Well, then answer your phone, because you tend not to." John said.

"That is because you never call about anything important." Sherlock mumbled.

It was easy enough for Sherlock to break open the lock to the building where Galvin lived.

Before Sherlock entered John grip his arm "Remember, answer your phone if I call you."

"Yes." Sherlock just said before he entered the building and left John outside.

He put on gloves so he wouldn't leave any fingerprints. Galvin's flat was on the fourth floor, he would just make sure that there wasn't anyone who saw him before he also tried to break that lock, but just as soon as he touched the handle, he heard two dogs bark from the other side of the door. By the sound could he hear that it was big ones. In a brief moment he considered to slip away again but then again, it was the 16th tomorrow. So he broke the lock and entered the door.

It was two black Labradors and they just kept barking at him.

"Hush!" Sherlock ordered, but without any luck.

So instead he stalked to the kitchen, where he found the dog food, and with that he managed to lure them into the bedroom and closed the door. And after a minute or so they stopped barking. At least Labradors are credulous.

Now could he take a look around, he just had to be quiet so the dogs wouldn't start again.

Galvin's flat was small and obviously affected by the two dogs that lived there. There were black dog hairs everywhere along with dog toys. He even had pictures of them over his telly. Sherlock didn't understand it, why have pictures of ones dogs? He find it more than enough with Junior running around or lying in the furniture and snore, why on Earth should he also have pictures of him? Stupid.

Galvin also had two Labrador figures in the window frame behind his sofa. But that wasn't what Sherlock was looking for, so he decided to start in the kitchen and work through the flat. It was, like many of his other decisions, a good one. Because on the fridge was a letter from the bank where Thomsen and Wood had worked, in fact the letter was about that he had to have a new bank adviser. Sherlock took a picture of the letter, and one of the cross with Jesus on, there were hanging on the kitchen wall.

Sherlock now moved to the living room where he, between lots of books about dogs, found the one about the seven deadly sins, written by Liam Wilson. Sherlock took out the book and flipped through the pages. It didn't look like Galvin had read a lot in the book. He put it back. He hadn't yet seen anything that could proof that Galvin is the SALIGIA-killer. But then another book catches his eye, a book about snakes. He opened it and found the contents, yes there was a section about bungarus. And even better, on that page where the article started, the corner was bowed.

But even through this were interesting, it still not proved that Simon Galvin was guilty. So Sherlock kept on looking.

oOo

It was cold as hell outside and John tried anything he could think of to stay warm, but without much luck. Then his phone rang, it was Jane. He was a bit surprised; he hadn't expected to hear more from her in a while.

"Hello." John said when he answered the phone.

"Hello John, how are you?" Jane said sounding a bit shy.

"Fine. I'm fine and a bit surprised. I didn't though you ever would talk to me again, after what happened yesterday."

"Yeah about that… I know I overreacted, I mean he just is like that all the time, isn't he?"

"Yes, yes is one of a kind. But he is a good friend in the end." John said and then added "I think."

She laughed briefly. "If you can forgive me, I would like to meet and get a cup of coffee."

"That sounds good." John said he couldn't believe that he had found someone who actually was willing to give Sherlock a second chance, again.

"What about now? Do you have time?" Jane asked.

Damn. How was he supposed to tell that he was helping Sherlock with burglary? "Uhm… right now isn't so good, we're investigating a suspect. But maybe in an hour?"

"That sounds great." She answered. "Shall I just come over then?"

"Yes, that sounds fine." John said with a smile.

oOo

Except from the books haven't Sherlock found anything useful. Most of the living room was filled with pets related things; there wasn't that much personal stuff. Not any pictures of family members or any sign of a computer. It was all things there had to do with dogs. But then of cause had he not looked in the bedroom yet. What if Galvin had hided something in there? Sherlock just had to get rid of the dogs first, but how? He opened the door to the bedroom and they immediately began to bark, Sherlock's plan had been to lure them into the bathroom, but then he saw something besides Galvin's bed that caught his attention and he instead walked into the room, which of cause not stopped the barking.

Sherlock looked at the snake in the terrarium, it was a bungarus, just much smaller than the one they had found on the crime scene. Sherlock smiled, finally something really useful. He took a picture.

"AHA!" someone said behind him.

Sherlock turned and looked at a little old man.

"I knew Simon's dogs wouldn't bark without a reason. I knew something was wrong, and then I find you! A thief!" he took the key from the bedroom door, and before Sherlock could do anything had the man locked the door from the other side. Sherlock was trapped. He looked out the window, he couldn't jump, he really was trapped. And now could he hear that the man was talking with the police on the phone.

oOo

John had just thought about calling Sherlock, just to ask if anything was wrong, then he saw the police car pull in to the sidewalk. John froze on the spot, that couldn't be true.


	16. Who will get Sherlock out?

**December 16****th**** – Who will get Sherlock out?**

John's date with Jane and anything else the doctor had planned for Saturday was ruined when the police arrested Sherlock for burglary. And the only thing John could do was to walk away, because he wouldn't be any help to Sherlock if he also got arrested.

Now John was in Lestrade's office, trying to get some help.

"Are you sure you can't do anything?" John asked Lestrade.

"I'm sorry John, but as I already told you yesterday, I can't do anything for Sherlock. He got caught in act."

John sighed. He already knew he just had to try again. "But you know he wouldn't steal anything."

"Yes. I know, but have am I supposed to convince anyone else? You know, if Sherlock just had told me about Galvin, maybe I could have done something. All we got out of this is that Galvin is gone."

"He is?" John asked that was not good, not good at all.

Lestrade nodded "I'm afraid so. He came home briefly because the police called about the burglary and then he left again. But at least I have some good news."

"What?" John asked and hoped it was something really good, because everything looked really bad right now.

"I got Sherlock's phone, and I thought he might have left us something on it. So I allowed myself to look in it, and it seemed like he took some pictures in the flat. One of them was a picture of a snake, the same kind as we found on the last crime scene."

"And?" John asked full of hope now that was a good sign.

Lestrade smiled "Well since it is an illegal snake, we can say that someone else gave us the tip about an illegal snake, and that gives us access to the flat."

"Fantastic!" John said and stood. "Now we just need to get Sherlock out, so he can take a closer look at the flat."

"Yes, and that is the problem. Who can get him out?"

"I know who." John said, this wasn't going to be an easy task.

oOo

"I knew you eventually would end up here." Mycroft said and looked disgusted around.

"Did you just come to gloat, or will you actually get me out of here?" Sherlock said staring cold at his brother on the other side of the table.

"Caught in the act, doing a burglary, it is not easy to explain away."

"I'm sure you have your methods." Sherlock said and smiled briefly. But it was an ironic smile, of course Mycroft could get him out if he wanted, the only thing there stopped his brother was that he enjoyed it too much. He loved seeing Sherlock like this, helpless.

"Well I guess I do not get rid of John before you are out again."

Another tiny smile sneaked onto Sherlock's lips, and this one was real. Now when he needed Mycroft and therefor couldn't insult him, it was nice to hear that at least John was getting on his nerves. "I can imagine that."

"I will get you out before tonight." Mycroft said.

"You mean when they have already removed the body from the crime scene."

Now it was Mycroft's turn to smile. "There hasn't been a murder today. No one is found dead yet."

Sherlock frowned, that didn't make sense. It was already past noon, all the other crime scenes had been found in the morning. "And is no one missing a fat person?"  
Mycroft sighed. "As you can things, but no, no one misses anyone."

It couldn't be true. There had to be a dead person in London, some lonely guy who no one missed yet.

"Maybe this Simon Galvin actually is the SALIGIA-killer and you just scared him yesterday. Maybe he is too afraid to kill anyone." Mycroft said when he could see Sherlock was deep buried in thoughts.

"No..." Sherlock stared at the wall, without seeing anything. "He wouldn't just stop; this is art for him, his work. He wants to show us this, he…" Sherlock stopped. "Uh." He smiled.

"What now?" Mycroft asked.

"He knows I am in here, that I can't see it. He wants me to see it that is why he waits." So now it was personal, the SALIGIA-killer wanted to play with him, wanted to test his abilities.

"Well, I guess we both know what that means." Mycroft said and smiled again.

Sherlock sighed. "That you will let me stay in here to he do it anyway or Simon Galvin gets caught."

"Exactly." Mycroft said, stood and left.

Maybe the killer had waited this long, because he wanted Sherlock to see it, but he wouldn't stop. And the next body would be found today, no matter what.

oOo

It was almost nine in the afternoon when John got a call from Lestrade, they had found the fifth victim, and Lestrade wanted John to take a look at it.

"Why?" John asked on the phone. "I'm not Sherlock; I can't do what he does."

"No, but he would probably rather hear you talk about it than he would if it was me." Lestrade said.

John could hardly imagine that, he couldn't remember the last time Sherlock had listened to him. But he agreed to meet with the DI anyway.

The scene was the victim's own flat, a little sinister one of its kind, which was messy, dirty and smell of old leftovers. Bill Smith, the victim, had clearly lived alone because no flat-mate or girlfriend would ever live in this mess.

The body was in the living room, sitting in the chair in front of the telly, where one of the Star Wars movies was playing. Smith's throat had like the three first victims been cut and the blood had run down his beer gut. He sat with wide open eyes like he actually were seeing the film. But on his nose was added a pig's snout, and where his ears should have been, there were also pigs ears.

"Who found him?" John asked.

"One of his mates got a text from Smith where Smith asked if he would come over to gamer night. He found him like this." Lestrade said.

"So the killer most have sent the text." John said. Lestrade nodded.

John walked over to the body, marks after handcuffs; Smith had been hold as a prisoner. And the blood still looked wet, he had just been killed. But why had the killer waited all day? John had no idea.


	17. It all falls into place

**December 17****th**** – It all falls into place**

Sherlock didn't come out before Monday morning, but at least John was there to pick him up.

"So did you make any new friends?" John asked when they tried to get a cab.

"Funny." Sherlock mumbled. "So what did happen last day? Who got killed?"

John told about Bill Smith, and showed Sherlock some pictures he had taken on his phone.

"I want to see the flat. Do you have the address?" Sherlock asked as they got into the cab.

And luckily enough John also has that.

Except that the body has been moved, it looked like it had done the day before, and smells just as bad. While Sherlock focused on the area around the chair, John looked around in the rest of the room. He tried not to step on anything there were tossed on the floor, but that was almost impossible, because the floor was field with empty packaging from all sorts of fast food restaurants and empty soda bottles. All surfaces were full of dust, and the shelves were full of fantasy films, everything from Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter. Poor Smith, he had just been a 25-year-old lonely nerd.

"John, come here." Sherlock said.

John turned around and made his way over to Sherlock who had squatted down beside the chair. John squatted down beside him and looked at what Sherlock was looking at, a piece of a fingernail.

"And what are we gonna do with this?" John asked.

"Smith didn't seem like a guy who cared much about his outer, did he?" Sherlock asked and looked at John.

"Uhm… No." John said and looked back at his flat-mate. "But what does it to do with the murder?"

"Well, why would he sit here and cut nails?" Sherlock said.

John shrugged. "Maybe he finally decided they were long enough but was too lazy to get up?"

"If that was the case would the nail clipper and the rest of the nails also be here." Sherlock said.

John stood and Sherlock followed. "Why don't you just tell me then?" John asked and crossed his arms. He hated when Sherlock made him guess when the detective very well know that John couldn't come with the same conclusions as himself.

"The killer clipped Smith's nails, which suggests that Smith managed to scratch the killer. He clipped them to remove possible blood and skin remains." Sherlock said and started walking towards the door.

John followed. "So if Galvin is the killer, he will have scratches on his arms."

"Yes and maybe are there also some DNA left under Smith's nails." Sherlock said.

Their next stop were St. Bart's, where they made sure that samples were taken from the man's fingernails, which were then sent for examination. After that they took to Scotland Yard where they talked with Lestrade about Simon Galvin.

"We have sent his photo out to the media; it will be in the news later and in the papers tomorrow." Lestrade said.

"And what about his flat?" asked Sherlock.

"He has taken the most personal things with him, computer and the dogs. It doesn't look like he plans to come back. But we keep an eye on it anyway." Lestrade responded. "Do you want to see it? _Legally_ this time."

"No. What about the snake, didn't he take it with him?" Sherlock asked.

"No, actually he didn't." Lestrade looked like he just realized it was a bit strange.

"Maybe it looked too suspicious to walk out with terrarium with a snake in it." John said but then remembered that he lived with Sherlock Holmes, and suddenly the snake-terrarium-thing seemed normal.

"Well done John." Sherlock said "But he will come back, his pets mean everything to him."

"Good, and when he does, we will be there to take him." Lestrade said and nodded, finally it seemed like they were getting somewhere.

"Call me if you catch him." Sherlock said and was about to walk away when Lestrade said something again.

"I looked Galvin up in the registry."

Sherlock turned to look at the DI again "And?"

"He got arrested five years ago for attacking a man in public." Lestrade said.

Sherlock smiled briefly, perfect. The only problem now was that they didn't know where he was.

oOo

Sherlock was standing in the living room and looked out of the window. It was started to snow again, but he didn't see the snow. He was thinking, trying to figure out where Galvin could be hiding. But his concentration was interrupted when Jane and John entered the room mostly because Jane was talking loud about everything and nothing. They had been out on a walk with Junior, but have now returned and talked about making tea.

"Do you want a cup of tea Sherlock?" Jane asked as she walked out in kitchen.

When Sherlock didn't answer or turned around, John said _yes_ for him.

Shortly after Sherlock was handed a cup of hot tea, but when he didn't took it Jane placed the cup on the window frame.

"So how is the case going?" Jane asked as she sat down in Sherlock's chair and let Junior sleep on her lap.

"It is going fine, right Sherlock? We almost have him." John said and sat down in his own chair.

"So who is it?" Jane asked.

John guessed she hadn't seen the news yet. "Simon Galvin."

Jane began to cough when she got the tea stuck in her throat. "Galvin?"

Sherlock turned, this sounded interesting. Did she know who he is?

"Are you all right?" John said.

"Yes it's just… I… I know him, or just a little. He…" She stopped.

"He what?" asked Sherlock and walked toward her.

She turned her head and looked at him. "He dated Kate, for a while. But they had just started to meet again. I meet him a few times, and he seemed nice I would never have thought that…" She stopped and looked down. John came over to her and tried to calm her.

Sherlock returned to look out of the window, so now they also had connected Galvin to Sanders. They were getting close now, very close.


	18. Thank You

**December 18****th**** – Thank you**

John could sleep in that morning, which was needed. He just hoped Sherlock had done the same, or at least just got some hours of sleep. But when entered the living room, he doubted it. Sherlock was sitting in the almost same position as the night before.

"The snake." Sherlock suddenly said.

"What about it?" John asked. He had been sitting in the other chair with his breakfast and the paper, waiting for Sherlock to say something, it was a long time since John had given up saying good morning or anything else when Sherlock was in that stage.

It looked like Sherlock just realised John was there.

"Oh sorry, were you talking to Junior?" John asked when he saw his friend's facial expression.

"Actually yes, since you just went to bed." Sherlock replied.

"It was 2, at night." John sighed. "But what is it with the snake?"

"The snake, oh yes… snakes can live in weeks without eating…"

_Just as you_, John thought to himself.

"So if Galvin feed it before he left can it be weeks before we see him again." Sherlock said.

That was certainly not good. "So are we going back to his flat to see if he have feed his snake?" John asked, not sure about how they even could do that.

"Yes." Sherlock said and stood "We have nothing else to do have we?"

No, they hadn't. John was about to get his jacket, when he remembered something. "By the way, Sherlock, what happened to my shoes at the crime scene?"

Sherlock shrugged. "I don't know, maybe they still are there or more likely, some homeless person have taken them."

John sighed. "You didn't even tell me why I had to take them off. And now I've lost them, it was a good pair of shoes."

Sherlock had put on his coat and turned to look at John. "If one gets attacked by a poisonous snake then remove all things there can cause suffocation, such as jewels, watches and shoes, because one's body can begin to swell. So I simply saved your feet, if you hadn't take them off you would maybe not need the shoes anymore."

John wanted to say something, but he didn't know what, because Sherlock was right. All Sherlock had done that day was saving his life, and John hadn't even said thank you yet. "Thank you."

Sherlock frowned and looked a bit confused; this was not the usually respond he got when he pointed out John's lack of important knowledge. "For what?"

John smiled "For saving my life."

"Uhm… You're welcome?" Sherlock said this was very weird for him. "Come on John, let's go."

oOo

This time there was no barking and no need to sneak around; he could just walk into Galvin's flat. He just came to see if the snake had been feed recently, which it hadn't. That was a good sign that would mean that Galvin soon would have to return if he wanted to keep his beloved pet alive.

But now when he was there anyway, he could just as well take a look around in the rest of the flat again. But there wasn't much new to add on the list of important things he already had found in Galvin's flat.

In the kitchen he just found a lot of organic products and in the freezer there was a pack of mice to the snake and beside the stove stood a vegetarian cookbook.

On the shelf he found an old photo album. It was filled with pictures from when Galvin was a little boy and there were also some pictures of who Sherlock guessed were his parents and of course the family's pets. But at last page of the album was there a loose picture; it was a black and white picture of a younger woman.

Sherlock took the picture of the unknown woman and put it in his pocket, just as John walked into the room, coming from the bedroom.

"I can't see anything suspicious." John said.

"No, I do not think there is more to come after here." Sherlock said and put on his gloves, now when they again were about to go out in the cold weather.

"Oh Sherlock, just one thing." John said.

"Mh." Sherlock mumbled as he walked out the door.

"Jane is coming over for dinner tonight." John said and almost bumped into Sherlock as the other man suddenly stopped.

Sherlock turned. "Why? Why does it always have to be at our home? Why can't you eat at her place or on a restaurant? Why do I have to be there?"

"Well," John shrugged. "No one says you have to be there. And just to be clear, you do remember that I was eating at her place last week right?"

"No, I don't. I don't waste my brain on such unimportant things."

"I was gone for _five_ hours, for God sake Sherlock; you have to pay more attention to what happens around you." John shook his head. "You can eat with us if you want, if you don't it is okay. I don't really care, just as long as you're nice to her." John said and walked past Sherlock.

oOo

It turned out to be a long evening, long and boring. It took Jane and John too long to eat, because they were talking so much about unimportant things, like the best way to decorate a Christmas tree. Or Jane talked and John pretended to listing.

In the meantime lay Sherlock on the couch with Junior on his stomach. He lay and wondered who the woman in the picture could be. The picture was too old for it could be a sister. But perhaps an aunt or maybe it was not important to the case.

"Have you found out where you spend Christmas?" Jane asked as she and John entered the room.

"No." Sherlock responded.

"Well, John and I were talking about it, and I suggested that we maybe could spend Christmas here, and when invite Harriet and Clara, what do you say to that Sherlock?" Jane said with a wide smile.

Sherlock couldn't imagine anything worse; he would rather spend the evening with Mycroft.

"So Sherlock, what do you say?" John asked.

Sherlock was about to answer, when his phone rang. It was Lestrade.

"Yes?" Sherlock asked on the phone.

"We got him." Lestrade said.

Sherlock looked up at John "We're on our way."


	19. Interrogation

**December 19th – Interrogation**

They took immediately a cab to Scotland Yard and while they were driving Sherlock looked at the picture of the unknown woman, her dark hair was gathered in a tight knot, and she looked into the camera with a tight smile. She seemed familiar in a way.

"Who is it?" John asked when he saw the picture in Sherlock's hand.

"I don't know. But we'll maybe soon find out." Sherlock said and put away the picture.

When they reached Scotland Yard, they hurried to Lestrade's office. And there he was, waiting on the visitor chair, Simon Galvin. Lestrade were sitting in his own chair, already questioned the man. Sherlock took another chair and sat down beside Galvin. Galvin turned and looked at Sherlock, he frowned.

"You." he said. "It was you with the pug; I knew there was something suspicious about you."

Galvin looked tired, he had black circles under the eyes and his beard had been allowed to grow in the past few days.

"The only one here who is suspected for anything is you, Galvin." Lestrade said.

Galvin turned his head back to Lestrade. "But I have already told you, I'm not guilty." Galvin already sounded desperate.

"Why did you run from the police then?" Lestrade asked.

"My picture were all over the news, I got scared. I am accused of killing five people! I am not guilty."

"I do not believe you." Lestrade said "we already have connected you to three of the victims, you have a book about the deadly sins, access to ketamine which have been used to kill two of the victims and you have a snake of exact same kind as on one we found on the crime scene."

"A poisonous snake." John added he was standing against the wall with his arms crossed. "That bloody thing bit me."

Galvin now looked at John "But a snake wouldn't attack, unless…"

"Unless it gets irritated and it does so when the temperature gets too low, yes we know that. And you knows it too and that is why you planted it were it was cold as hell." Lestrade said.

"But I didn't! Why do you not believe me?"

"I do." Sherlock said.

All the other three turned to look at Sherlock.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lestrade asked.

"You're a vegetarian right?" Sherlock asked Galvin.

Galvin nodded "Yes, I haven't eat meat in 15 years."

"And I will guess that that snake is one you took so it wouldn't be euthanized?" Sherlock asked.

"Yes." Galvin mumbled. "I know it's a dangerous one, but it would be a shame if it had to die."

Sherlock looked at John and Lestrade. "Do you see? He wouldn't be able to kill those animals there have been used to show off the sins."

"What?" Lestrade frowned. "You can't be serious."

"I am very serious." Sherlock said and looked indeed very serious.

"What about the old case?" Lestrade said and turned to Galvin "You were arrested for assault."

"Yes, he mistreated his dog in public, and it was not the first time I had already tried to talk to him but it did not help. So I did the only thing I felt was right." Galvin said and looked like someone who was ready to do it again.

"See," Lestrade said, and made a hand gesture towards Galvin. "He can attack a man in public, why should he not be able to make an exception when it comes to killing a few animals. You did not even mention he wouldn't be able to kill people." Lestrade now looked at Sherlock.

Sherlock held the eye contact with Lestrade. "Mr Galvin, would you please take off your shirt?"

Galvin looked at bit confused. "Excuse me, what?"

"Just do it." Lestrade sighed and turned to look at Galvin again. "What is your point with this Sherlock?"  
Sherlock looked briefly at Galvin. "Bill Smith scratched his attacker, but as you can see does Galvin not have a single scratch." Sherlock smiled triumphantly. "Thank you Mr Galvin, you can put your shirt back on."

Galvin did as he was told.

Lestrade stood. "Sherlock and John can I talk with you two outside?"

Sherlock and John followed Lestrade outside the office, and Lestrade closed the door.

"What happened to the suspicion you had about Galvin? Am I supposed to just let him go now?" Lestrade said and looked at Sherlock.

"No, I have some questions first, because I think he knows who the killer is." Sherlock answered and opened the door again.

"Can I go now?" Galvin asked then everyone was back on their places.

"No, not yet." Lestrade said. "We still have some questions."

"Who is this?" Sherlock asked and put the picture of the unknown woman on the table.

Galvin just stared at the picture for a long time. "Why do you want to know that?" he finally asked.

"Just answer the question." Lestrade said.

Galvin sighed. "It's my mother, my biological mother. She was only 16 when she got me, so she gave me to an orphanage."

Sherlock could see that the woman on the picture was more likely 18 or 20, so either he lied or his mother had waited. "When did she do that?" he asked.

"When she met him who later became her husband. I was 2 at that time. I found out a couple of years ago."

"And what is her name?" Sherlock asked.

"When she gave birth to me her name was Louise Walker, and today it's Wilson."

"Married to Liam Wilson." Sherlock said.

"The priest?" John asked and frowned.

"Yes, that is her husband." Galvin nodded.

"So did you help your mother with these murders?" Lestrade asked.

"No! I have never met her. She have three children now, I could never dream of coming and spoil their or my own life. I don't even know if she wants to talk to me. I have my mom and dad; I don't need to talk to a woman who gave me away." Galvin said.

"But you do know the murderer." Sherlock concluded.

Galvin sighed. "For the last time, I have nothing to do with this and I don't know who have killed those people."

"But you must admit, that there are many things that points at you." Lestrade said.

"Yes, but it is coincidences. I have the book because I was curious; I thought Wilson might have mentioned something about my mother. And there are many others who have access to ketamine, many other _doctors_." Galvin's eyes flickered towards John, without John saw anything but Sherlock did.

Sherlock frowned. How did Galvin know John was a doctor? Did Galvin know Benjamin Johnson?

Sherlock stood. "I don't have any more questions."

oOo

Early the next morning Lestrade called to let Sherlock and John know that they had let Galvin go. They could not proof anything, and besides, Lestrade also trusted Sherlock when he said Galvin was innocent.

"So what do we do now?" John asked.

"We take a closer look at our new suspects." Sherlock said.

"Suspects? Who else than Louise Wilson?" asked John.

"Benjamin Johnson." Sherlock replied.

There were also something else Sherlock wanted to investigate, but he would not say anything about that yet.


	20. Secrets

**December 20****th**** – Secrets**

John had spent the entire day on talking with Benjamin Johnson, pretending to wanna catch up and hear how the other man's life were going, but all John really cared about was to hear what Johnson had been doing for the days of the murders and then he checked up on the man's stories. To see if they could hold water, and they all could.  
So when John came home after a long day, he expected Sherlock had been doing the same with Louise Wilson, maybe not talked with her but at least checked up on her. He hadn't.  
"What have you then been doing all day?" John asked.  
"Examined another theory." replied Sherlock from his chair where he was sitting and playing the violin.  
"What other theory?" John hadn't heard anything about another suspect.  
"Nothing you need to know about" Sherlock said and stood.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" John asked he started to get annoyed. He hated when Sherlock wouldn't inaugurate him in his plans.

Sherlock wouldn't tell John because he was afraid of how John would react, so he wanted to be 100 percent sure before he said anything. "It's just some facts I wanted Mycroft to check up on, nothing important."

"You wouldn't ask Mycroft for help, if it wasn't important. Tell me, we're supposed to help each other. And I can't do that if you not will let me know what you're doing." John looked at Sherlock.

Sherlock looked at his friend, wondered if he should tell him it all anyway. No, not yet. "Good night, John." He said and walked toward his bedroom.

"Are you already going to bed?" John asked. He couldn't believe it, of all the days he had lived with Sherlock, Sherlock choose a night like this to go to bed early. Because Sherlock never did that. "You know what day it's tomorrow, right?" John asked.

Sherlock stopped. "Of course I do. And don't worry, just because I didn't talk Wilson, doesn't mean that I didn't get someone else to do it. Lestrade talked with her, and her alibies holds."

oOo

The next morning both John and Sherlock sat in their chairs, just waiting. Waiting for _something_ to happen.

Sherlock waited for Mycroft to call and confirm him in his theory, and John waited for Lestrade to call and say that another poor man or woman had been killed. But when Sherlock's phone finally rang, it was neither Mycroft nor Lestrade, but an unknown number.

"Sherlock Holmes." Sherlock said when he answered the call.

"Hello, it is Simon Galvin." Galvin answered.

Sherlock had to admit he got a bit surprised. He looked over at John, he looked very curious.

"What can I do for you?" Sherlock asked.

"Can I come over for a talk? In private." Galvin asked.

"Yes. Be here within 10 minutes." Sherlock answered and cancelled the call.

"Who was it?" John asked.

"Simon Galvin, he wants to talk to me." Sherlock said in a low voice. He wasn't sure about what Galvin wanted to talk about, but he had his theories.

"He is coming here?" John asked and pointed at the floor.

"Yes. Do you take Junior for a walk so long?" Sherlock asked and stood. He looked for Junior, so he could get John out of the door before he started to protest.

"What? Why?" John stood and took the dog when Sherlock handed him it. "Why are you kicking me out?"

"Galvin wants to talk to me in private that is why." Sherlock said and put the leash on Junior. He smiled "See you in an hour." Sherlock said and began to nudge John towards the door.

"But Sherlock…" John didn't finish the sentence, before he was pushed out the door and Sherlock slammed it behind him.

John sighed and looked at Junior and the little dog looked back at him with eyes pointing in two different directions. "I guess we just as well can take that walk then." John said and went down the stairs.

Sherlock stood by the window and saw John walked. And he only had to wait a couple of minutes before it knocked on the door. Sherlock turned just as Simon Galvin entered the room.

It looked like Galvin had gotten a good long sleep and he had also been shaved.

"Good to see you again, Mr. Galvin." said Sherlock.

Galvin closed the door behind him. "It will only be a short meeting."

"That sounds fine, and then John not has to be out in the cold too long." Sherlock said.

"I just wanted to say thank you to you, for convincing the police about my innocent." Galvin said.

"I don't want to put a man in jail, just because he has an illegal snake. I want to catch the real killer, and I will." Sherlock said. He wouldn't tell Galvin that he already knew who the SALIGIA-killer was, because then would Galvin maybe tell. And he also did not want to let Galvin know that he knew how Galvin and the killer knew each other.

Galvin smiled briefly. "You're not gonna catch anyone. I have made sure that there will not be any more murders. Just look at today, no one have been killed."

"_Yet_." Sherlock said in a low voice and narrowed his eyes. If he played a bit stupid and pretended not to have any clue about who the killer was, would it might give him an advantage later.

"And no one will. I promise. I have stopped this. Please, just stop looking." Galvin said and looked just as cold at Sherlock as Sherlock did at him.

"I would never promise anything like that." Sherlock said. "I know you have some kind of connection to the killer, I just need to find out what it is."

"I guess you will have to look for a very long time, because I will not tell you." Galvin said and opened the door again. "Goodbye, Mr. Holmes."

oOo

"I guess this will close the case." Lestrade said when they all were standing in the living room, looking at the body on the floor.

"Of course not." Sherlock said. He had just talked with Mycroft on the phone, and got everything confirmed. Too bad it had to cause one more murder, but tomorrow he would have all the proofs he needed and then the killer would be in prison within Christmas Eve.

"This is clearly suicide." Lestrade said. "He has pressed the needle himself."

Sherlock smiled briefly and looked toward the window, between the two Labradors he had seen the last time he had visit the flat, had there been added another figure, a beautiful glass lion. "Simon Galvin did not commit suicide, he was murdered." Sherlock said.

* * *

**From tomorrow there should be earlier updates, because it's where my Christmas vacation starts ;)**


	21. Sherlock home alone

**I know ****I said ****I ****would ****update ****earlier today****, ****but then ****I started to see a****program ****called **_**Live **__**From **__**Earth's **__**Destruction**_**, ****and ****I just had to**** see ****it ;)**

* * *

**December 21****st**** - ****Sherlock****home alone**

Sherlock and Junior were the only ones at 221; both John and Mrs. Hudson were out buying Christmas presents. They had left only five minutes before, after John had used over twenty minutes on trying to find his phone, and then left the flat without finding it.

Sherlock took up John's phone from his pocket where he had been hiding it, and sent a text. He got a text with just the answer he wanted. Now he just waited, and ended up in one of his trances.  
It knocked on the door to the flat. Sherlock didn't react. But Junior did, he began to bark and ran to the door.  
"Is there anybody home?" was asked from the other side. It was Jane.

Sherlock stood and opened the door for her.

"Sherlock, is it you?" she said and entered the room. "John texted and asked if I would come over, where is he?"

Sherlock closed the door. "John isn't here right now, but I think he will be here within minutes."

Jane frowned. "Okay… well, what about I make us some tea? I'm frozen."

"Sounds lovely." muttered Sherlock.  
He followed her out in the kitchen. "For a moment, I almost thought that Simon had stopped you."

Jane dropped the mug she had in her hand; it broke into two then it hit the floor. She turned. "What?"

"He tried to stop you, but you killed him. He tried to help you, you should have listened."

"How long have you known it?" she asked with a smile.

"A couple of days, but for John's sake I wanted to be sure."

"And what revealed me?" She wanted to know and crossed her arms.

"Genes. The picture I found in Simon's flat, the woman looked like you. So when he said that it was his mother it all falls into place. And you said it yourself, the first time you meet Junior, that your brother had dogs. So I got my brother to check up on it, just to be sure. And from there could I just add all the small things there just helped proven my theory that you and not your brother were the killer. You didn't like the fact that John's sister is lesbian; you could get the ketamine from Simon. And the fact that you bought new shoes just after Grey was found on a gold painted chair, I guess you got paint on your shoes?" Sherlock had spoken really fast and Jane had just looked at him and she still smiled.

"Yes, I knew you would notice if there were gold paint on my shoes. But are you otherwise impressed?"

Sherlock frowned. "You used John, to see how the investigation was going."

Her smile widened. "I can't deny that it was a bonus, but I actually like John."

"I will give you a choice now, either you go with me now to Scotland Yard and confess everything and nobody will know it was you, or we can do it the hard way." Sherlock said sounding cold.

Jane smiled "And why would you keep it as a secret?"

"For John's sake. I don't think he'll be happy to find out that his girlfriend is a serial killer."

Jane's smile faded. "You… actually care about John."

"We can pretend that you just couldn't stand me anymore. John will not hate me for very long."

She showed her hands into her pockets of her hoddie. "I guess that is a pretty good deal considered my situation." She walked over to Sherlock.

"I will call a cab." Sherlock said and found his phone.

Sherlock turned just as Jane stabbed a needle into his shoulder. He would pull it out, but she had already pressed the liquid into his veins.

"Do you really think I am that stupid?" Jane said and took a step backward. "Do you really think John hadn't told me that he were gonna buy presents today?"

Sherlock started to fell dizzy. "You planned this… you…"

"Yes Sherlock, this was the plan all along. Ever since I could see how lazy you really are. You don't even take your own phone when it rings, what would you do without John?" Jane grabbed Sherlock when he was about to fall. "Don't worry, you're not gonna die. Not yet."

oOo

Junior scratched and barked at the door when John came up to the flat, and the door was locked, like the front door had been. It all seemed weird, and unlike Sherlock.  
And it all just got weirder when John opened the door and saw the dog. It looked terrified.  
"Sh, sh... Boy" John said and tried to calm the dog by picking it up. It was shaking. "What have he done to you?" he had never seen the dog like this. "Sherlock?" he yelled, but no answer.  
Clearly that Sherlock wasn't home, why would he otherwise lock the front door? But that still didn't explain the shaking dog. Sherlock had never done an experiment on Junior. Something was wrong.  
John was brought back to reality by a knock on the door. He opened, it was Jane.  
"Hey John, Junior." she said and would pat the dog, but then it began to squeak.

"I think he's ill." John said and took a closer look at the dog, but wasn't exactly a vet.  
"Oh your poor thing." said Jane and clapped its little wrinkled head. "Shall I take him while you put that away?" she asked and pointed at the bag with presents.  
"Yeah, thanks." John said and handed the dog to Jane.  
John saw his phone on the coffee table, but because he had so much else to think about, did he not think about how it had ended up there. He tried to call Sherlock while he went up stairs, but he didn't got any respond it went directly on voice mail, his phone was turned off, sure John was used to Sherlock didn't took his phone but Sherlock's phone is never off. Something was seriously wrong.  
John threw the bag on his bed and went back downstairs again.  
"See, he sleeps now, everything is fine." Jane said and stroked the little sleeping dog she was sitting with in the chair.  
"Jane I'm sorry but I can't go out tonight I think something is wrong with Sherlock"  
"John," Jane began and lay Junior down in the chair when she stood. She walked over to John "Sherlock is a grown up man, he can take care of himself."  
_Sometimes he can't,_ John thought. _Sometimes he's like a child_.  
"I'm sorry but I can't" John said.  
"John I'll say that I've been fair about how your friendship works but this..." she flung her arms. "This is just too much. You say that this happens all the time, that he just takes off without saying a word, and comes back later so why is this time different?!" her voice was getting louder.

"I... I just know there is something wrong." John said because he didn't know what else to say.  
He took his phone from his pocket maybe Mycroft or Lestrade knew something.  
Jane slammed the door to the flat and he heard her stomp down the stairs.  
John sighed. Sherlock had cost him a lot of girlfriends through time and probably just another one.  
He was busy finding the older Holmes' number when he at a coincidence looked over at Junior. The dog laid abnormally still. Normally would a slammed door cause that he woke up and start to bark or growl. John put his phone down and walked over to the pug.  
"Junior" he said but didn't get any respond. "Oh my god." he mumbled and picked up the little dog. It wasn't dead, but its heartbeat was slow it was drugged. "Jesus she drugged my dog."  
There stood John Watson with his dog lying lifeless in his arms, drugged by his girlfriend and the only thought that ran through his mind was, _why?_ And then he realized the awful truth.

"Oh god Sherlock." he mumbled he ran down the stairs and handled Junior to Mrs. Hudson.  
"Oh dear, what had happened to him?" she said when she stood with the lifeless dog in her arms.  
"He's gonna be all right, but I don't have time to explain now." John answered.  
Sherlock might have cost him a lot of girlfriends, but this one had might cost him Sherlock.


	22. The abandoned building

**December 22****nd**** – The abandoned building**

John had taken his gun with him and had taken a cab to Jane's address. He hadn't contacted the police after all, because what he was about to do was not legal.  
He still had that ID card of Lestrade's which Sherlock had given him the first time they had been chasing criminals together. And he intended to use if it necessary.  
He rang the bell to Jane's neighbor.  
"Hello." said a woman.  
"Hello this is detective inspector Greg Lestrade, could you please let me in and come to your front door. It's about your neighbor Jane Hay." John said sounding so authorities as possible.  
"Yes sure." the woman said with a mix of surprise and concern.  
There came the familiar buzz sound and John hurried up the stairs. The woman, Mrs. Walters, stood in a bathrobe and slippers and waited outside her door.  
"Thank you for taking you the time." John said and held out a hand while he showed her the ID card.  
"Of course, no problem, sir. What's wrong, in there?" she said and pointed at Jane's door. But with no sign of shaking John's hand.  
"Sorry Mrs., but I'm not allowed to talk about the case." John said putting the ID away again. Gossip seemed more important than knowing who was asking about ones neighbor. "Do you have an extra key?" he knew she had.  
"Yes, two seconds." she said disappearing into her flat and came back with a key in an awful keychain clearly made by some children, grandchildren, judging by her age. John smiled; he had spent far too much time with Sherlock. But his smile soon faded again, he really did not hope his friend already was dead.

He opens the door to the flat; there wasn't anyone in the flat, of course there wasn't. John decides to stay, he could take Jane if she comes back, and until that, would he try to figure out where she had taken Sherlock. But then he remembered the old abandoned building where they had found two of the other victims.

oOo

When Sherlock woke up could he hear someone who was talking and it slowly got louder as he became more awake.  
"Oh you are awake." Jane said when she looked over at his direction. It was her who had talked earlier probably with herself. She seemed a bit stressed.  
Sherlock looked around he was in an abandoned building probably the same as they had found the first and fourth victim in. He was bound to a chair and he was handcuffed.  
"I had to move you, you know? And guess why?" she seemed frustrated.  
Sherlock was still a bit dizzy but it must mean that they were closing in on her. "They know it."  
She came with a short laugh. "I shouldn't have done it; I shouldn't have drugged that annoying dog of yours..." the rest of the sentence disappeared in a whisper.  
"Sorry I didn't hear the rest of that." Sherlock said. The more time he could waste would give John and the police more time to find him.  
"That bloody dog could remember that I took you." she spat out. "So I drugged it while John went upstairs. I should just have killed it in the first place."  
Sherlock could only agree that that was incredibly stupid done of her. But he was glad that Junior after all not was as stupid as he looked like. And of course, that he wasn't dead.  
"Our life would have been perfect!" she shouted, because Sherlock didn't paid attention.  
"John would have figured it out at some point." Sherlock answered in his usual bored tone.  
"No..." she shook her head "no he wouldn't! He would have been happy! _You_ make him unhappy." her eyes had got a crazy look, Sherlock could tell because her face was so close to his now.  
"So that's why you will kill me? Because I make John unhappy, he can just move if he want."  
Another sarcastic laugh escaped her lips and she took a step backward "Like you could survive without him."

"So I'm the seventh kill, sloth."  
"Yes! It's always John do this, John do that!"  
"He can just say no." Sherlock couldn't see the problem in it.  
"Oh Sherlock, it isn't just John. Everybody you know is suffering under your laziness and arrogance.

That wasn't news to him, he had heard that many times. And it still didn't have an impact on him, people just had to deal with him if they wanted to be near him, and if they couldn't do that, did he not care.

"I don't see what you get out of this?" Sherlock said. "What is the point of killing seven people in the name of God, isn't, _you may not kill_ one of The 10 Commandments?"

"So is, _y__ou__may only have__one__God_, and people have seemed to forget that. They are so self-centered, that they forget about God and everyone around them. They don't take care of them who should mean the most to them."

A smile sneaked up onto Sherlock's lips. "This has something to do with your biological mother, right?"

Jane narrowed her eyes when she looked at him again. "She abandoned me. She abandoned both Simon and I as soon as she met Liam Wilson. She could have chosen 1000 other men who would have accepted two small children, but instead she just had to fall in love with a Catholic who wanted his own children. Simon was only 2 and I wasn't even 1-year-old when she gave us away."

"So you found out about your biological mother and that you had a brother?" Sherlock asked.

She nodded. "I have always been told that I was adopted. I never loved the people I lived with, so when I found out about Simon I got angry, because he had had a good childhood with loving parents. Poor Simon, after he got arrested he started to anger management, it helped, and he wanted to be a good person, that is why he didn't turned me in. He really was a good help." She laughs briefly. "Of course did he not know that I was stealing ketamine from the clinic or that it was me who left at box with a bungarus in front of his door." She shrugged "Or well, eventually he found out."

"But why did you kill him?" Sherlock asked.

"He started to get angry with me, because I told him that I needed to end this. Really angry, he gave me a slap. So I drugged him while he was sleeping." She smiled. "In such cases is it good to have a car…"

Jane was cut off when they heard a noise somewhere in the building; it was the sound of metal hitting the concrete floor.

Jane kept smiling and pulled out another needle from her pocket. "I think it's time for me to disappear for now, see you later." She said and pressed the needle into his arm.

oOo

John swore inside himself. It had made a lot of noise when he had turned over some old cans of paint. He was constantly prepared with his gun, every time he opened a door and looked into a room. But so far hadn't he found anything. The next door was closed and John pressed his ear to the door, no sounds. He slowly opened the door. John was relieved, there was Sherlock. He was bound to a chair there had the back toward the door.

John ran over to his friend, he still had a pulse. John stuck the gun into his belt and tried to untie the rope.

John had almost untied it, when everything went black. He had been hit in the back of the head with something heavy.


	23. We need time

**December 23****rd**** – We need time**

When John woke up was he frozen. He tried to move, but just fell into the wall. "Where am I?" he mumbled. He tried to move but his hands were bound on his back, and his feet were bound too. And the back of his head hurt.

"John." A familiar voice said from his left side. John turned his head and saw Sherlock, and suddenly he remembered it all.

"Have long have I been sleeping?" John asked.

"It's over midnight." Sherlock didn't sound panicked, scared or nervous. He sounded just as bored as he would have been if he were laying on the sofa at home waiting for a new case.

John nodded that wasn't so bad. "Okay, so a couple of hours then." said John.

"No." Sherlock sighed, as if he was irritated that John had guessed wrong "It's over midnight to the 23rd. You have been sleeping for over 24 hours."

John still felt dizzy, but Sherlock's words still didn't made sense to him. He frowned. "What? How is that even possible?"

"Jane has drugged you several times. She couldn't bear to see you wake up." Sherlock said.

John wanted to stay positive, because after all, Sherlock wasn't dead yet. "Well, someone must be looking after us by now."

"Probably, but we don't have time for Lestrade to figure out where we are." Sherlock said. "We have to get out of here before she comes back."

"Yeah, sure, of course." mumbled John. There was nothing he wanted more than to save Sherlock's life. That was the most important thing right now, but he sure hoped that Sherlock had a plan, because John didn't. He turned to ask Sherlock and then discovered something there made him freeze even more. "Oh God Sherlock, you don't have your coat on. Are you alright?" John could only imagine how much Sherlock most be freezing after all those hours in this cold room.

"Of course I don't have my coat, _your_ girlfriend kidnapped me."

John sighed. "Sorry Sherlock. I didn't know, I couldn't see it. I…" John suddenly realised something, something about Sherlock's _theory_. "You… you knew, and you didn't tell me. Why?"

Sherlock didn't want to have this conversation. He just wanted to get out of the room. He wanted to bring himself and John out of danger. "We don't have time for this John." Sherlock mumbled.

"Just tell me." John commanded with a harsh voice. If Sherlock had told him, could this maybe have been avoided, maybe could they even have saved Simon Galvin's life.

"I..." for once Sherlock Holmes didn't know what to say. "I was afraid of being wrong again. So if I had told you that your girlfriend was a serial killer, and it wasn't true, am I pretty sure you never would have talked to me again."

John felt bad for how he had talked to Sherlock earlier. This had been Sherlock's way of protecting him, Sherlock's way of show that he cared. "I'm sorry Sherlock. It was nice of you. Thanks."

Sherlock decided to stop the conversation right there. "We've to get out of here right now." He said and began to rock on the chair.

"Sure, but how are we…" John was cut off when Sherlock landed on his side.

"Are you all right?" John asked.

"Yeah… I am fine." Sherlock said and tried to hide the pain in his voice. He had landed on his right arm, and he was sure that it was sprained. Sherlock tried to turn so he was facing John. "John, can you come over here, maybe I can untie your rope."

"Okay." John said and rolled over to Sherlock, which resulted in that he ended up being face to face with Sherlock; there were only centimeters between them.

"John, you have to turn around." Sherlock mumbled.

"I know." John hissed and tried to turn his back to Sherlock, when he finally did Sherlock complained again.

"Closer, I can't reach the rope from here." Sherlock said.

"Yeah, yeah! Just give me some time…" John mumbled and then realized time wasn't something they had most of.

John got settled so his hands and Sherlock's were touching each other. "Jesus, Sherlock, you're ice cold."

"Just lay still." Sherlock commanded.

John did as he was told, but soon they heard footsteps coming toward the room they were in.

"How's it going?" John whispered.

"Almost." Sherlock answered, also in a whisper.

Sherlock let go of the rope as soon as the door was opened and John rolled onto his back.

Jane came into the room with John's gun is her right hand. She looked from Sherlock to John and smiled. "So… you're trying to escape. Well that is not gonna happen." She walked over and raised Sherlock up again. "Hello John, I am so sorry you have to be here. But don't worry; I'll let you go as soon as I have completed my work." She smiled and looked at Sherlock. She turned to look at John again, of course I have to drug you again and you have to wait to the police comes and find Sherlock here, but don't worry I will send them a letter on my way to the airport. Too bad I have to take off to another country, I am sure we could have had a good life together."

John narrowed his eyes and looked at her. "You're a monster. I would have found out at some point."

She squatted down beside him "You're sweet John, but not that clever." She smiled and stood again. She walked over to Sherlock. "Maybe should I just shoot you?" She said and put the gun to his temple. "I think it's alright that I speed up my plans a bit."

"And how will you show that this is _accidia?_" Sherlock asked he briefly looked at John. The doctor had rolled over on his side again, facing Sherlock. And Sherlock saw him mime the words _give me time_.

Jane shrugged and lowered the gun. "I don't know yet, maybe cover you in slime or pop out your eyes and replace them with snails." She began to laugh.

But she soon stopped laughing. Because John turned his legs into her so she fell and dropped the gun. He had got his hands free, and got the rope wriggled loose, so he could get his arms out. Jane, who had been surprised when she got knocked over, was still lying on her stomach. But now she tried to get up again. But John was faster and got her turned, his feet were still bound together, but he managed to get on top of her so she couldn't get up.

"Get off me!" She demanded and tried to get him off, but John was too strong and held her hands down to the ground.

John had to do something, he couldn't keep her like this for long and if she got to the gun first... John did the only thing could think of, hit his head against her. She got a blurry expression in her eyes, and John took the chance and tried to get the gun. He succeed and sat up against the wall, pointing the gun at Jane.

"Now, do as we say." He commanded.

Jane sat up. "And what is your command?" she hissed.

Now Sherlock took over the talking. "Take the needle you intended to give John, and give yourself an injection."

Jane looked from John to Sherlock, but realized she had lost. So all she could do was to take the needle.

John finally felt relieved when she was unconscious, now he just needed to untie Sherlock and then could they finally go home.

"Thank God it's over." John said and started to untie his feet.

"Yes." Sherlock nodded. "Yes it's..." he was cut off by a sneeze.

John smiled to himself. He had just fought against a serial killer who also was his ex-girlfriend, but a sick Sherlock almost seemed as a bigger challenge.

* * *

**So ****they caught ****the killer****. ****Surprise****, ****surprise ****;) ****Last chapter ****tomorrow.**


	24. Merry Christmas

**Sorry about the late update, but all day have just been family visits, too much food and lovely presents. But here it is the last chapter. **

* * *

**December 24****th**** – Merry Christmas**

When John had untied Sherlock, he searched in Jane's pockets to find the key to Sherlock's handcuffs and her phone so he could call the police. When he got the handcuff off Sherlock he instead put them on Jane, just to be sure.

Sherlock sniffled and rubbed his wrists."Thank you John."

John took off his jacket and handed it to Sherlock. "I don't want you to get even more sick than you already are." John said to answer the questioning look Sherlock was giving him.

Sherlock just took the phone from him; he could remember Lestrade's number and wanted to get in direct contact with him. "Keep your jacket, I'm fine." He said.

John was too tired to argue with Sherlock right now, so he just put his jacket back on.

Together Sherlock and John got Jane dragged out of the building, where they waited a couple of minutes for Lestrade to arrive.

"What is happening?" Lestrade asked when he got out of the car, and after him came sgt. Donovan. Lestrade looked at the drugged, handcuffed woman between them. "Who's that?"

"That is Jane Hay..." Sherlock sneezed "she's the SALIGIA-killer."

"How...?" Lestrade was cut off by John.

"I'm sorry Greg, but I really need to get Sherlock to the hospital, can we take this later?"

Sherlock looked at John. "I don't need to go to the hospital, I'm completely fine."

"No you're not, and I am not gonna argue with you about this. I'm the doctor, not you. And we're going to the hospital!"

Sherlock didn't dare to say anything because John sure looked annoyed right now. He looked at Lestrade. "I'll call you later."

The DI just nodded; he wouldn't argue with John either.

oOo

"Are you sure you can take care of him?" Mrs. Hudson asked John as they were standing in her kitchen.

He smiled. "Of course, we're gonna be fine. You just take off and celebrate Christmas with your family."

She smiled and gave him a squeeze on his arm "Okay, dear."

John wished her merry Christmas and waved to her as she drove away in the cab and then he returned to the flat.

Sherlock was lying on the sofa with his duvet and just stared at the ceiling.

"How are you feeling?" John asked as he walked to the kitchen to see how their Christmas dinner was going. He had called Harry and said that he wouldn't come over to her and Clara for Christmas, because he had to look after Sherlock who was sick. They understood, even through Harry came with some comments first and ended the conversation with saying: _say hello to your boyfriend from me_.

"I'm fine." Sherlock mumbled. He felt a bit guilty, because he knew that he was the main reason to that John wasn't going to his sister's for Christmas, but then on the other hand did he also know that John and Harry not get along that well, so he was sure that it was fine.

"I think the turkey is ready in five minutes." John said and found two plates. He hadn't cooked a whole turkey, but just bought some pieces in the local supermarket. Sherlock wouldn't eat much anyway.

Sherlock just mumbled in respond. He wasn't very hungry, but he had decided to eat, just to please John. Junior hopped up on the sofa, and crawled up on Sherlock. He had a big red bow in his collar.

"John, why does Junior have a red bow?" Sherlock asked and stared at the rather girly thing on his dog.

John came into the room with a bottle of wine and looked at the dog too. He shrugged. "It isn't me, it must be Mrs. Hudson." John smiled and sat the bottle down on the coffee table.

"It looks ridiculous." Sherlock said.

"Yeah, you would do too with a thing like that." John responded and returned to the kitchen.

Sherlock removed the bow from Junior and ignored John. He sat up and watched John set the coffee table with all they needed for a good Christmas dinner. Sherlock helped by insure that Junior didn't take anything from the table. There wasn't much else he could do when he had this cold and a sprained arm.

"Let me take him." John said and took the pug from Sherlock when he was done with the table. "I have something for you in the kitchen." He said to Junior. He had mixed the dog food with tiny pieces of turkey. John watched the dog as it ate, that wouldn't last long.

John sat down beside Sherlock and poured red wine to both of them. "Well this is not exactly the Christmas I had pictured." John said and handed Sherlock a glass.

"Me neither." Sherlock mumbled.

"What was your plan for Christmas anyway?" John asked and ignored that Junior hopped up on the other side of him.

Sherlock shrugged. "Just sleeping in, I think."

John had to admit that sounded nice right now. "But would you have celebrated with Jane and me?"

"I guess so. But when she killed six people and broke up with you." Sherlock said.

"Yeah, I think I will wait a while before I start dating again. Maybe find someone who not wants to kill you." John said.

"I would appreciate that." Sherlock responded, and they both laughed.

When they had finished eating John cleared the table, gave Junior some of the leftovers and took the eggnog with him back to the sofa.

"Do you want your present now?" John asked. He hadn't planned anything else for the evening and he had bought a board game for Sherlock, so maybe they could have some fun with that, or it could end as it had done when they played Cluedo.

"Fine." Sherlock responded and sneezed again.

"I'll be right back." John said and went upstairs to his bedroom where he had hidden all the presents he had bought. Jane's was also in the bag, he would return that after New Year. He took the squared present and went back downstairs.

"Here you go, merry Christmas." John said and handed Sherlock the present.

"Thank you." Sherlock mumbled and opened it. "Bezzerwizzer." Sherlock read on the box.

"Yeah it's a game with a lot of questions; I thought it might be something for you and that we could play it now." John said and took the game from Sherlock to open it.

"So you will wait until tomorrow to get your present?" Sherlock asked.

John smiled and turned to look at Sherlock. "You bought me a present?" he asked. He had not expected to get anything from Sherlock.

Sherlock took an oblong, badly wrapped, present up from a plastic bag he had beside the sofa, and handed it to John. He had brought it when John had been upstairs.

"Thank you Sherlock." John said, he had to admit that he was quite curios about what it was, and even more confused when he opened it and found a dog bone. "Well, I think I share the good Christmas spirit and give this to Junior." John said and threw it on floor. Junior who had kept an eye on John jumped down from the sofa and dragged the bone to the other side of the room, just to be sure that John or Sherlock wouldn't steal it from him.

"I thought you said that it was stupid to buy such a big bone for such a little dog?" John said.

"It is, but since Junior and I were supposed to celebrate Christmas alone, I thought I just as well could buy something there could distract him so I could get some peace." Sherlock said.

John nodded. "Sure. And this was funny Sherlock; I actually thought you had bought something for me too." This was one of Sherlock's more succeeded attempts to be funny, and that he had bought a present for Junior was very sweet.

Sherlock frowned. "I _have_ bought something for you. This was Junior's gift. But he couldn't open it himself, right John?"

John was confused for a moment. "Oh okay... so?"

Sherlock gave John a present there was just as badly wrapped as the other and about the same size as the one John had given Sherlock.

"Thanks, again." He said and opened that one too. "Shoes?" He said and opened the shoe box and smiled, almost laughed. "A new pairs of them I lost. Thank you very much Sherlock." John couldn't believe that Sherlock had spent time on finding exact the same kind as them he had left on the crime scene. "When did you have time for this?"

"The day after, when Jane came I went out to meet with Lestrade, after that was I back at the crime scene, but your shoes were gone. So I found some new for you." Sherlock said.

John poured two glasses of eggnog to them and handed one of them to Sherlock. "Merry Christmas, Sherlock." John said with a big smile.

Sherlock smiled too. "Merry Christmas, John."

* * *

**One thing: Here in Denmark we get our presents Christmas Eve, so that is why I let John and Sherlock do that too ;)**

**So this was the end. Hope you enjoyed it :) **** and I just wanna say thank you to all them who have read the story, and of course, merry Christmas :D**


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